Chapter 50 Third, take a look at our Xiangfei bamboo in Hunan

After receiving the letter from his mentor, Li Hongzhang, the governor of Zhili, braved the severe cold and traveled long distances from Baoding to Jiangning despite the approaching New Year's Eve and all the troubles.Last year, he was promoted from the governor of Huguang to Zhili to take over the post of mentor.At the same time, he took over the finishing work of the teaching plan in Tianjin.During those days, the two teachers and students had many heart-to-heart talks on the Tianjin case, Westernization and the national situation.In these aspects, Li Hongzhang fully agreed with Zeng Guofan's views, especially for the establishment of Westernization, Li Hongzhang showed greater enthusiasm than his mentor, and he did practical things down-to-earth.During Su Fu's tenure, he prepared to establish the Shanghai Bomb Bureau and the Suzhou Machinery Bureau.During the tenure of Shujiang Governor, not only greatly expanded the Jiangnan Machinery Bureau, but also independently established the Jinling Manufacturing Bureau.Li Hongzhang used these munitions factories to produce a large number of guns and bullets to equip the Huai army, making the Huai army the most well-armed army at that time.Regardless of people's words, he insisted on not withdrawing the Huai army after the Nian army was suppressed, and placed Liu Mingchuan, Pan Dingxin, Zhang Shusheng, Wu Changqing, Zhou Shengbo, Zhou Shengchuan, and his younger brothers Li Hezhang and Li Zhaoqing in high positions in charge of military power, forming a with his mighty wings.His older brother, Li Hanzhang, was the best at being an official. Once his younger brother was transferred, the post of governor of the lake fell into his hands.There has been no precedent since the founding of the Qing Dynasty for two Han brothers to serve as governors concurrently.Inside and outside the government and the public, it is said that the Li family has replaced the Zeng family and has become the first family of subjects in the world.Hearing this, Zeng Guofan felt sour sometimes, but he was more relieved and even grateful.

Students are better than teachers, doesn't it just reflect the teacher's ability to recognize and cultivate talents?Ouyang Zhaoxiong talked about such a thing: Zuo Zongtang was the governor of Fujian and Zhejiang that year, and he went to Fuzhou to visit old friends. Zuo Zongtang said that Zeng Guofan was not as good as himself.He told Zuo Zongtang that Zeng Guofan may not be as good as you in leading troops to fight, but he is many times better than you in knowing and employing people.There are many talented people under Zeng's sect, and your Chu army has no second person except you as the commander-in-chief.Who is inferior to whom, later generations will have their own judgment.Ouyang Zhaoxiong's straightforward criticism left Zuo Zongtang speechless and blushed.

Zeng Guofan was greatly comforted by Zuo Zongtang's blushing face, not to mention that Li Hongzhang's career was closely related to him!He clearly knew that with the prosperity and strength of Li Hongzhang, he could ensure successors to his career, and his reputation would not be destroyed by death.Throughout the thousands of years of history, how many people were famous and popular during their lives, and when they died, they were scolded and flogged before their bones were cold, and their reputations were wiped out throughout their lives.Zeng Guofan knew that he had a lot of grievances in the handling of the Westernization and Tianjin cases. If there is no strong person to carry out his ideas and achieve achievements, once he falls, he may not be able to escape the whipping of corpses and ashes. ending.Now with Li Hongzhang, with his unshakable power and a group of subordinate brothers occupying important positions, it is estimated that he will not be ruined in twenty or thirty years.Zeng Guofan was very grateful for his decision to choose Li Hongzhang as his successor ten years ago, and he was grateful for this up-and-coming student, and admired his psychological strength more than himself.As a result, Zeng Guofan also tolerated Li Hongzhang's fault of caring too much about honor and wealth, and the relationship between teachers and students entered a new stage of harmony.

During Li Hongzhang's stay in Tianjin, he saw with his own eyes that his teacher was in a difficult situation under the interweaving of Qingyi's accusations, Jinmin's resentment, and inner guilt. Looking at his teacher's deteriorating sickness, he had a premonition that his teacher would have no future. too much. When he read the words in the handbook that "after this meeting, we may say goodbye forever, we should entrust you with a big event", Li Hongzhang went south to Jiangning regardless of everything. After the teacher-student meeting, Zeng Guofan put forward Yung Wing's proposal to select young children to study abroad, and Li Hongzhang readily agreed with it, thinking that this was a fundamental measure for Xu Tu to improve himself.In order to ensure that this matter achieves the desired effect, Li Hongzhang also put forward many specific suggestions, which made this bold idea, which was praised by later generations as the founding act of China and an unprecedented achievement in ancient times, come to maturity.Zeng Guofan was very excited these days, discussing various details with Li Hongzhang repeatedly.In the end, it was decided that Li Hongzhang would draft the draft, and the two would play the title.

Li Hongzhang's memorial is well written.At the beginning of the act, Zeng Guofan asked him to be in charge of the secretary's copywriting.A few months later, he praised and said: "Shaoquan's talent is the closest to that of official documents, and all the memorials and letters he drafted are superior to others. It is not known whether he will make extraordinary achievements in the future, or whether he will emerge from the blue." Now after ten years of governor's career With his experience, his memorials are more sophisticated and sophisticated.The biggest feature of Li Zou is his meticulous organization and succinct writing. For an unprecedented event, he used more than two thousand words to describe the origin, necessity, how to proceed, the expected effect, and twelve specific items. Don't bother, everything is covered.The main point is: select bright children between the ages of 13, 14 and 20 to study in the United States for 15 years, select 30 students each year, and send them for four consecutive years, with a total of 120 students. Committee management, it is estimated that the sum of all expenses is about 1.2 million taels, with an annual allocation of 60,000 for the first and last 20 years.

Zeng Guofan was very satisfied after reading it, but when he refuted the remarks that "you don't have to go abroad, you can study in China", he added a sentence: "The ancients said that those who learn Qi language should be cited and placed among Zhuang Yue, and it is widely heard. It’s better to see it at first sight, which shows the importance of experiencing it firsthand.” When he read the policy of cultivating talents based on the present and focusing on the long-term, he added two metaphors: "Chengshan begins with a short shot, and the period of accumulating moxa is three years." Zeng Guofan, an ancient writer, believes that a good memorial is clear in writing In addition to being concise, some literary talent should be added appropriately.In this way, it will not feel boring to read, and it can be passed on for a long time. The so-called "words without words, deeds are not far away" is the truth.He paid great attention to both language and prose in the sample memorial he chose for Yuan Fu.After the whole article was correct, he handed over the draft to the study room for copying, so that Li Hongzhang could take it to the capital to submit in person.

Li Hongzhang is leaving tomorrow.At noon, Zeng Guofan held a farewell banquet in the Governor's Office for him.Officials and old friends gathered together to present a glass of fine wine to the co-organizer, who was young and powerful, with outstanding achievements, and filled his ears with flattery.Li Hongzhang was very happy, but also slightly puzzled: the mentor said that he had a big matter to ask, and he didn't say a few confidantes these days except for sending young children to study abroad.Big event, is it referring to this matter? In the afternoon, a gap was opened in the cloudy sky, and a ray of winter sun that had not been seen for many days shot into Liangjiang Governor’s Office. Get up embarrassingly.Seeing this, Zeng Guofan, who was drinking tea and chatting in the study, became more interested, and said to the disciples with a smile, "Shaoquan, go and see our Xiangfei bamboo in Hunan!"

"Where can I go to see it?" Li Hongzhang was obviously confused by the teacher's words. "You come with me." Zeng Guofan stood up, followed by Li Hongzhang.In Li Hongzhang's eyes, his mentor is obviously old: his thin body is wrapped in a bloated leather robe, his neck is slender, wrinkled and dull, like a piece of dehydrated old bitter melon; One high and one low, the gray braid hanging from the fur hat is sparse and thin, like a mouse's tail stained with white powder.Compared with the first meeting in the capital twenty-seven years ago, it is a world of difference. Only the steady and heavy steps still retain the spirit of the past.

Zeng Guofan brought Li Hongzhang to the West Garden.The West Garden was originally designed by Li Hongzhang.At that time, a big fire turned the Tianwang Palace into a rubble field, destroying everything, but the stone boat was not affected at all, and it was still moored in place.In the fourth year of Tongzhi, Zeng Guofan went to the front line of the Nian War, and Li Hongzhang acted as the governor of Jiang, and began to plan to rebuild the supervisor's office.Someone suggested blowing up the Marble Boat, but Li Hongzhang stopped it.Today, when he saw the stone boat floating in the blue waves, he felt a sense of intimacy.He crossed the Jiuqu Bridge with great interest, looked at it carefully for a long time on the stone boat, and then followed his teacher to the bamboo forest on the shore of the lake.

What a lovely bamboo forest!In the middle of winter, the vegetation withered, but only the bamboo branch remained green all over its body. It really deserves to be one of the three friends of Suihan.Just to the left of this large bamboo forest, a zigzag path paved with cobblestones led Zeng Guofan and Li Hongzhang to a small bamboo forest.In front of the small bamboo forest, there is a small room built in the form of a lotus leaf pond farmhouse, which is specially used for enjoying bamboo and resting. Zeng Guofan named it Yihuang Pavilion.The furnishings in the Yihuang Pavilion are simple.On the wall in the middle hangs a painting of Zheng Banqiao in ink and bamboo, but it is not Zheng's authentic work.Zeng Guofan borrowed it from Zheng Banqiao's descendants and asked Peng Yulin to copy one.There is also a seven-character quatrain on Banqiao's painting: "Ya Zhai is lying down and listening to Xiao Xiaozhu, which is suspected to be the voice of the people's suffering. These little officials of Caozhou County, one branch and one leaf are always concerned about love." Zeng Guofan praised this poem. endlessly.

Peng Yulin couldn't write Banqiao style, and Zeng Guofan couldn't write it either, so he had no choice but to record this poem in his own cursive style.After it was mounted and hung up, Zeng Guofan said to Peng Yulin with a smile: "We two have robbed Banqiao's treasure together, how will we see him in the future!" Peng Yulin also smiled and said, "I am the plagiarist. Although Dizhang recorded his poems, he didn't use his style. Spread his poems, and he will even throw a banquet for you!" Zeng Guofan laughed happily for a while, he felt that he hadn't been this happy for a long time. Zeng Guofan led his disciples into the Yihuang Hall and sat down at a small square table in the middle.A white cloth was spread on the table, and several pastries were placed on it. A charcoal fire had already been lit in the house, and it was warm. A servant came over and poured two bowls of hot tea. "Shaoquan, this is Xiangfei bamboo moved from Junshan Mountain in Dongting Lake." Zeng Guofan leaned on the back of the padded chair, pointed to the small bamboo forest outside the window, and said to Li Hongzhang, "Have you seen this kind of bamboo before?" "No." Li Hongzhang agreed, looked out of the window, and then walked out of the Yihuang Pavilion and entered the bamboo bushes. He wanted to appreciate this rare bamboo forest with magical colors. For Xiangfei bamboo, Li Hongzhang has been famous for a long time.The Xiangfei fan made of Xiangfei bamboo as bones is an elegant item that literati generally love to carry.Although he is not the kind of person who is famous for poetry and wine, he is also from Hanlin, and he also likes to shake a Xiangfei fan in summer.He served as governor of Huguang two years ago, but most of the time he was not in office but on the battlefield, so he never went to Hunan to see a live Xiangfei bamboo, and he never expected to see it in Jiangning City today! "Shaoquan, you have to take a good look, this is the real Xiangfei bamboo that was transported from Junshan Mountain together with the soil!" Zeng Guofan said loudly to the window, he seemed very proud, singing Liu Yuxi's song alone in the room From "Qin Niang Song", "The people in the mountain city are in the Shaojiang River and the water is green, and the broken geese mourn the apes in the wind and rain. Zhu Xian is no longer a bosom friend, and the cloud temples are not in the autumn. They cherish it privately. The wind and smoke are not the old days, and the way back to dreams is often uneven. How to make this A thousand lines of tears, even more sprinkled with bamboo branches in the Xiangjiang River!" Yes, this is indeed a real mottled bamboo by the Xiangjiang River!I saw that the slightly yellowish green bamboo poles were covered with large and small black spots, and the black spots looked like the ink marks slowly soaking on the rice paper.Comparing it to human tears, women's tears, especially the tears of King Shun's concubines - the beautiful and loyal Ehuang and Nvying, it is really wonderful!Li Hongzhang gently stroked the bamboo pole, lamenting that there are such rare products in the sky, and even more so that there are such imaginative Chu people in the crowd, and the representative of Chu people is the weakened man in the room. mentor.He has always admired his teacher's grandeur and firm will, and today he sees that the teacher's heart is still full of wit-like affection. Li Hongzhang looked at dozens of bamboos in a row, and was nostalgic for half an hour in the bamboo forest, before he reluctantly returned to the Yihuang Pavilion and sat opposite the teacher.He took a sip of hot tea and asked with great interest, "Men, how long has this bamboo been here?" "It's been less than a month, and it's still looking pretty good. If it can take root here for generations, it would be a great thing." Zeng Guofan smiled. Li Hongzhang suddenly felt that the teacher's joy for the success of Banzhu's move to the West Garden even surpassed that of seizing Jiangning back then. "Teacher, please give me a few, and let the fourth son plant them in Lijiazhai, Luzhou!" Li Hongzhang said, his solemn demeanor was comparable to his request to build the Huai army. "Okay!" Zeng Guofan readily agreed, "If next year this batch of mottled bamboos can still be so luxuriant, I will definitely give you forty. Your four brothers each have ten, and there are fifty left here. My five brothers There are also ten roots per person." What kind of friendship is contained in this seemingly casual sentence, Li Hongzhang can figure it out as soon as he hears it.He said excitedly, "Thank you, Master!" "Drink some hot tea!" Zeng Guofan said to Li Hongzhang when the servant came to the stone table and poured out the original cold tea and replaced it with hot tea, "Shaoquan, do you know why I love Xiangfei bamboo so much?" "Because this bamboo is a specialty of my teacher's hometown, my teacher looks at it as if he has returned to his hometown." Li Hongzhang replied without thinking. "You're right, but it's not the only meaning." Zeng Guofan said with a smile while stroking his beard. "It is also because this bamboo has a beautiful and moving legend, which makes it more lovable than other bamboos." Li Hongzhang immediately added. "Well said, but not quite." "Then..." Li Hongzhang paused for a moment, then said with a smile, "Students are so stupid that they really can't think of anything." With Li Hongzhang's agility, let alone two reasons, he said in one breath that it doesn't matter if it goes up to ten or eight, but he deliberately didn't say it.Firstly, he knew that his teacher's city is very deep, and the thoughts in his teacher's heart are not something he can easily tell; secondly, he wants to maintain the image of a junior who is humbly asking for advice in front of his teacher, and would rather stop guessing and ask his teacher for advice than Show off your strength and show off your abilities, so that you can be well-behaved.This was also honed by Li Hongzhang, the leader of the Huai army who was proud of his talents, used to be unwilling to think about this. "Hunan people love mottled bamboo, especially when they are old. Rare things are the most precious. There is also a legend about King Shun's tour to the south, the guest died in Cangwu, Ehuang and Nvying disappeared, and they threw themselves into the Xiangjiang River with tears in the bamboo forest. It is indeed the reason why Banzhu is loved by others. The old man values ​​Banzhu, mainly because he associates a kind of bloodiness from Banzhu. Ehuang and Nvying know that King Shun is dead and cannot be seen again, but they want to go south to look for it. If they can’t find it, they cast Suicide by water, martyrdom. What kind of blood is this? It is the blood of knowing what is impossible, the blood of repaying the kindness of knowledge with death, and the blood of pursuing the goal until death!" Li Hongzhang couldn't help being awed when he listened.In his mind, the Nian'er Hutong study room twenty-seven years ago gradually emerged in his mind, where his mentor was giving him lectures about the borrowings to refer to his aspirations, and the moral integrity of the sages... As the prince Taibao, the co-organizer of the university, and the first-class Su Yibo In front of his mentor, Li Hongzhang still has the awe-inspiring feeling he had when he was a student.He was carefully chewing on the profound meaning of what his teacher said today. "Shaoquan, this meeting of our junior brother in Jiangning may be the last time in this life." Zeng Guofan's tone suddenly changed, and the impassioned generosity of the wind blowing the pines and the waves of the warship was replaced by the emotion of being helpless. "The mentor is as energetic as before, and the students will have a long time to ask for advice in the future!" Li Hongzhang was stunned, and he still smiled calmly on his face, as if he didn't take this statement seriously. "You don't know, my feet have been swollen for several months." Zeng Guofan stretched his feet forward. "As the saying goes, men are afraid of wearing boots and women are afraid of wearing hats. A swollen foot is a very bad omen." "It doesn't matter. After I return to Baoding, I will find a good doctor for my teacher who specializes in treating this disease." Li Hongzhang watched Zeng Guofan's outstretched foot and comforted him. "No need." Zeng Guofan returned to normal, "In the past twenty years, I have died several times. Death, for me, is not worth fearing. I invited you from Baoding to tell you before I die. A few important words. Shaoquan, the current situation has tied our juniors together and stuffed them into a sailing boat." The cracked clouds in the sky gradually stitched together, and the warm and bright winter was covered by the haze again, and the magnificent Liangjiang Governor's Yamen once again turned into a gray ink painting scroll.Li Hongzhang felt his chest was a little congested, and his body was chilled.He replied solemnly: "Over the years, my disciples have followed their mentors and done a few things. Although it is the current situation, but the mentor's great kindness of rewarding and supporting, how can the disciples forget it for a moment!" "Back then when I first met my virtuous brother in the capital, the old man promised my virtuous brother as a great weapon. Ding Weinian's virtuous brother beat his horse into Yutang. I regard you, Guo Yunxian, Shuai Yuanxi, and Chen Zuomei as the four gentlemen of Ding Wei. Anqing captured Later, I asked my virtuous brother to recruit Huaiyong, and went east to Shanghai, and then secretly recommended him as Su Fu. I have been mediocre in my life, and I have achieved nothing. The only consolation is that I have seen that my virtuous brother is a great talent that can be entrusted with important responsibilities. If you want to repay the emperor's kindness and leave a legacy for future generations, that's all." Zeng Guofan recalled the past with deep affection, and his supreme and heartfelt praise pushed Li Hongzhang's mood to an inexplicable peak of excitement.He said in a voice almost choked with sobs: "Compared with the great merit of the teacher, the meager work of the disciple is like the sun and the moon compared to the fire, and the Taiyue is compared to the sand dunes. What's more, this little work is also included in the meritorious deeds of the teacher's life. " "In the past ten years, the two armies of Hunan and Huaihe Rivers, and the two families of Zeng and Li have attracted the attention of the world. The predecessors said that the ones that are clear and bright are easy to be lacked, and those that are bright and bright are easy to be dirty. The danger of slander, fear and ridicule, always has the feeling of being humble and deep. This is the inherent courage and weak nature of the old man, and the nature of looking forward to the situation. I like my virtuous brother who is bold and strong, dare to act, and is much better than me in terms of temperament. This is the most comforting thing about being old.” "Students often have emptiness and timidity, especially when things are not going well and the night is getting darker." Li Hongzhang is known for his iron fist, and this is the first time he has shown that he also has a weak side in front of others. "I think no matter how hard and strong a person is, the feeling of cowardice in the depths of the spiritual palace is always unavoidable. Su Changgong said, sending a mayfly to the world is like a drop in the ocean. How short and small a person is between the world and the ocean , can you not be timid?" Zeng Guofan smiled faintly.The servant came over to change to hot tea, Zeng Guofan took two big gulps, and Li Hongzhang also took a shallow sip. The westward sun was oppressed by the cloud for a long time, and finally struggled out again.Its golden light shines on the painting boat left by Hong Xiuquan, and also on the Xiangfei bamboo moved from Junshan Mountain; it shines on Zeng Guofan's gray and yellow wrinkled long face, and it also shines on Li Hongzhang's plump and thick shoulders.People have likes and dislikes, it is impartial; people have life, it will be eternal. "I know that the days to come are short and my death is imminent. My good brother is just like the sun in the sky, just in the ascendant, and the future should be cherished. I have a few words from my confidant to say to my good brother." Zeng Guofan said solemnly to the student sitting upright Said, "Since the establishment of the Xianghuai Army, Ping Changmao has wiped out the Nian bandits, killed countless people, and enemies are all over the world. It goes without saying. There is another layer. I don't know if you have noticed that the reason why the Xianghuai Army Victory is due to breaking the laws established by the ancestors and the customs of the world." "The disciples know." Li Hongzhang nodded and said, "I hold the military power at the center and never move down. In the past, the Bailian sect in Sichuan and Chu rebelled, and regiments were established in various places to participate in the suppression of the rebellion. However, they were all disbanded after the regiments. For example, it was the main force to quell the long-haired Nian bandits. After the long-haired Nian bandits were overthrown, the mentor followed the established law, and the Xiangyong land division withdrew nine out of ten, but the naval division remained basically and turned into a war division. , the withdrawal of the Huai army is only two or three out of ten. These are very different from the secular grammar." "Yes! You see things clearly." Zeng Guofan was very satisfied with Li Hongzhang's answer. "If the Xianghuai army does not oppose the secular grammar, it will not succeed; if the Xianghuai army opposes the law, it will cause endless troubles. Some people say that they will start the vassal towns of the Tang Dynasty and the first voices of the eight kings of the Jin Dynasty. I have many worries by nature, and I am frightened by all kinds of pressure. After the recovery of Jiangning in the third year of Tongzhi, I forcibly withdrew the Hunan Army. The virtuous brother has a great figure. Not only has he not withdrawn the Huai army in recent years, but he has used a large number of foreign guns and cannons to become the most powerful army in the world. There are many discussions on this matter, and some people even regard Dong Zhuo and Cao Cao as suspicious. Something extraordinary." Having said that, Zeng Guofan picked up his teacup to drink water again, and paid attention to Li Hongzhang's reaction.I saw that he had a calm demeanor, and he was not moved by the ridicule of Dong and Cao in the world. Zeng Guofan sighed in his heart: "This is Li Shaoquan, he is very different from me after all." "Of course, this is the shallow opinion of the ignorant." Zeng Guofan went on to say, "Although internal strife is peaceful today, external troubles are endless, and the Qing Dynasty is in danger of being ravaged from time to time. An, defending the solidity of China in Shenzhou, we will rely on the Huai army of our virtuous brother in the future. In addition, we can only rely on the existence of a powerful Huai army to maintain the achievements of our Xianghuai army in breaking the secular grammar for more than ten years. This is what I want to tell you The first point is that no matter how much turmoil arises in the future, the Huai army can only be strengthened and not weakened, and this point must not be shaken." "Teacher, please rest assured, as long as the student is alive, this point must be adhered to!" Li Hongzhang said firmly.He did not have a strong sense of sacred mission to protect the monarchy and defend the country, nor did he have a profound understanding of maintaining the achievements of the Xianghuai Army in destroying the secular grammar. basis of existence.However, these words of Zeng Guofan also inspired him. In the future, he can use the resounding slogan of defending the monarch and defending the country to improve the combat effectiveness of the Huai army in many ways. I dare not say such bastard words as revocation! "After the peace of Changmao, I had hoped that the country would rejuvenate immediately. Unexpectedly, there would be another chaos. Nothing can be done anymore, and the government and the opposition have great differences on how to deal with the Tianjin case. It is hard to see the gap at the moment. When ZTE will come, it is hard to predict based on the current situation. Prosperity and death are my own responsibility, and advance when I know it is difficult, and I even know what I can’t do and try to do it. For decades, I have known that the difficulty of doing things lies in the fact that people’s hearts are not right, and customs are not strong. Silently transported in the depths of the abyss, and the descendants will also be in harmony with it, and the sky will also respond to it. My brother and I belong to these two people. I strive to correct myself first, and at the same time vigorously cultivate a Cultivate talents, cultivate a group of good officials, treat them as seeds, expect them to blossom and bear fruit, and realize the situation of harmony in the world. Unfortunately, this matter has not been successful. From then on, Brother Shang must always feel that he is in the position of an example in the world. In addition, we need to cultivate more talents and cite good officials. When the whole world comes to make peace, the customs will naturally change, and the prosperity of Kangxi and Qianlong will be revisited. This is the second point I want to discuss with my virtuous brother.” When it comes to talents, Li Hongzhang has always admired Zeng Guofan's knowledge and responsibility, so he took the opportunity to ask: "Men, my disciples have limited experience, and they often lead troops to fight. They have no time to study deeply, and they lack real insights on some important people today. My mentor is known for his subtlety. , can you give them a little comment so that the disciples know what they are doing?" After hearing this, Zeng Guofan remained silent for a long time.