The fire ticket of the Ministry of War was sent by the military affairs minister, and it copied the imperial edict about Shanghai Lijin: Zeng Guofan invited him to withdraw Shanghai Lijin to help Jiangxi pay, and the imperial edict made Yi Liang and others observe the situation. According to the report, Jiangsu Military Supplies Bureau spent a lot of money, relying only on salary, but failed to allocate funds to Jiangxi. Moreover, the land in Shanghai is mixed with China people and foreigners, and local officials and gentry have been able to live in peace for many years. If we send someone to deal with it again, it will cause great obstacles. Playing is the truth. All Shanghai lijin can only be reserved for Jiangsu province, and Zeng Guofan asked Yuan to allocate a small sum of money to help Jiangxi province pay, which is beyond discussion.

Zeng Guofan saw this imperial edict, and his heart was cold. Yiliang, the governor of Liangjiang, flatly rejected Yuan's wishful thinking of distributing Shanghai Lijin.

"Yiliang is hateful!" Zeng Guofan ruthlessly scold a way in my mind. Now that the imperial court is so weak, Yiliang said no. Zeng Guofan thought that such a thing would never happen in Xuanzong era. Hey! Today's situation, if you really want to do things, you must have the real power of the governor! In which province are you the governor? It's not a problem to supply 20,000 Yong Ding. You can't ask people for food. Zeng Guofan paced up and down the room, full of grievances. At this time, the door was gently pushed open.

"oh! Junxian, when did you come back! " Zeng Guofan, who was worried about his salary, glanced at Guo Songtao, who came back from Hangzhou to transport salt, as if he were as happy as seeing Marshal Zhao Gong.

"I just arrived in Nankang and came to work for you."

After several months of hard work, Guo Songtao has obviously lost a lot of weight. Zeng Guofan said kindly: "You have worked hard this time. You look so thin. "

According to the practice of treating old friends, Zeng Guofan personally made Guo Songtao a cup of floating beam tea.

"It doesn't matter if you are thin, things are not done well." Guo Songtao looks very tired.

"Thirty thousand salt was shipped to Guangxin in full, and you have made great contributions to the military camp. How can you say that it is not done well? " Zeng Guofan knew that Guo Songtao always spoke rudely, and there must be difficulties.

"Polyester, now the world is broken. When the country is in big trouble, it should be * * * to help the economy and * * * to save the crisis. In fact, it is a big mistake. " Guo Songtao is very angry. "In Zhejiang, first the governor He Guiqing refused to dial, saying that Zhejiang was also ravaged by long hair and could not bear the obligation to pay 80,000 yuan. Fortunately, he soon had to reluctantly accept the official documents of the Ministry. Officials at all levels who were sent to deal with it were exploited layer by layer, which made the people complain, knowing that they would be transported to Jiangxi to pay their salaries, and they all called you heartless. "

"Foolish people are ignorant, let him scold them!" Zeng Guofan said with a wry smile: "I don't know how many unprovoked curses I have received since I went out to do group training."

"It's easy to transport it to Jiangxi. When I untied a few bags in Yushan and prepared to eat, I found that I was fooled. "

"What's the matter?" Zeng Guofan asked in surprise.

"The salt is mixed with Guanyin soil. A bag of salt 100 kg, Guanyin soil has at least 10 kg. "

"These bastards!" Zeng Guofan blurted out.

"It doesn't matter." Guo Songtao went on to say, "The original plan was to sell 25 taels of salt. Excluding the cost and various expenses, it can earn more than four taels per salt if it is sold in Guangxin area. Who knows that each quotation can only sell for about twenty taels, and almost no money can be made. "

"What is the reason?" Zeng Guofan felt that things were serious, and the plan of making a net profit of 100,000 yuan could not fail!

"Later, after more than a dozen companies, a large number of smuggled Huai salt was being sold recently, and the price was between nineteen taels and twenty taels per quotation, and some of them were still cheap."

"Time and again, it is forbidden to smuggle salt. Why not shield it? " Zeng Guofan was so angry that he stood up and walked around the room.

"Jiangxi counties, not you the ministry of war assistant minister can tube. You may not know that almost all private businessmen who buy Huaiyan from thief areas in Anhui are supported by the government. Smuggling salt is a major source of income for state and county officials. Will they really ban it? It is said, "Guo Songtao walked beside Zeng Guofan and whispered," Lu Yuanxuan, a vassal and acting as the magistrate of Nanchang, is the biggest smuggler. "

"Jun-hyun, do you have a solid foundation?" Zeng Guofan turned around and asked aggressively, "If there is, I will immediately play impeachment. These people are simply giants of the country! "

"Of course confirmed. But you can impeach a Lu Yuanxuan, a Shi Zhie. Can you impeach all officials in Jiangxi? The world is bad, and the whole atmosphere is bad. It is impossible to reverse. "

Zeng Guofan with a sigh, no longer be quiet. He felt that he was walking in a land of thorns, with butch, leopard and wolf in front, which seemed easier to deal with, while mosquitoes, snakes and scorpions behind him and around him were unable to sanction and prevent them. He gritted his teeth and spit out a sentence: "If one day I become the governor of the two rivers, I will get rid of all these corrupt officials!"

"Sheng Di, I have come to pay you a job and say goodbye to you."

"Why! Are you leaving the barracks, too? " Zeng Guofan was deeply abrupt.

"I have done my duty, so I should go back to Beijing to work. I will leave Nankang tomorrow, go back to Xiangyin and settle down, and then go north. "

"The situation in Jiangxi is still dangerous, please give me another hand!" Zeng Guofan really didn't want Guo Songtao to leave.

"Polyester, according to our friendship, I should stay here and help you, but this time I was disheartened by salt. I think what we are afraid of is that the Qing Empire really perished. It is not easy to die in the hands of long hair, but in your own hands. This time in Hangzhou, I saw a book introducing the national conditions of Britain. Yi people have many advantages worth learning. I really want to go to England to see for myself. "

"Yi people do have many things better than us. Take the ships and guns they built, which are more than 100 times better than ours. Why don't you help me put down my long hair? After that, I'll explain to the emperor and make sure you go abroad for inspection. "

Guo Songtao said with a wry smile, "I'm just talking. You should seize this point and make a deal with me." I'm tired of running around these years. As you know, I can't bear to get tired of drama. You'd better let me go to imperial academy for a few days! "

Knowing that he could not stay long, Zeng Guofan said, "Meng Rong and I will treat you to a farewell dinner tomorrow."

Guo Songtao felt guilty when he saw Zeng Guofan's promise. He looked at Zeng Guofan with deep affection and said, "You are tenacious and determined, and you will definitely make great achievements. I am weak by nature, and I can't look up to you in this respect. What I said just now, I was too discouraged myself. Where there is a will, there is a way, and state affairs will not get out of control. I'm leaving tomorrow, and today I'm going to give you a few words from the heart. "

Zeng Guofan also said with emotion: "Please speak, dear brother."

"If, like me, you don't work in the local area and don't have the courage to suppress thieves, you have to change some practices if you want to achieve great things and exterminate traitors."

"Onlookers-you can tell at a glance. If I am wrong, you can call a spade a spade! " Zeng Guofan has already felt Guo Songtao's sincerity.

"First, to contact the local civil and military, don't always stand in the enemy's position, compromise when it is time to compromise. As the saying goes, dragons don't crush local strongmen. Second, you can't do what you can't do, and try your best to be thankless and blame others. Third, we should make use of green camp's strength and stop fighting alone. If you do these three things, many things will be done better. "

"Narration fairy, you this three points is really a good word. In the future, we must follow your advice, otherwise we will be at a loss and eventually accomplish nothing. " Zeng Guofan said here, thinking of the plight of Jiangxi, his eyes moist.

The next day, Zeng Guofan invited Liu Rong to see Guo Songtao off together. Zeng Guofan took out a painting and said to Guo Songtao, "Dear brother is leaving. I have nothing to give, I am very distressed, and I don't have a good job. I am recording an old work 16 years ago, so I should say goodbye to my good brother. "

Guo Songtao took it and wrote four seven-melody poems, entitled "Four Poems of Guo Junxian, Zhejiang":

one

Take care of yourself when you are sick. Well, don't be too hasty.

Two or three confidants are separated and spend half their time on the road.

Rabbits must camp in caves when they walk, but Hong Fei doesn't care about the west and the east.

Why is it good to read and write? Winning a trail is like turning around.

Secondly,

There are clouds in the stone, and the feathers of buildings and ships are rising.

Mantis actually wants to block the rut, but can his hips and moustache resist the axe?

However, the strategy of Xie Tongchen has been heard by Wang Yuli.

Now the dream of traveling should be stable, and the favored ones should be eliminated as soon as possible.

third

Infinitely willing to follow suit, 30 years on earth with a flick of a finger.

A game full of changes, around Liang Dong using wheels.

When I was independent, I missed the past and tried to protect myself.

I am ashamed of Taicang's good name, so I made several generations of friends before I became poor.

Fourth.

Frost broke the house at night, and Juanjuan leaned against the eaves.

I have been searching diligently since I turned over the books, and I have been looking for books at home.

Guanhai's feelings are thin and thin, which is out of people's minds.

Even more pitiful is Wu Hui's wanderer, sitting alone in the middle of the night.

Lu Daoguang sent Guo Junxian away twenty years ago, and Xianfeng stayed in Nankang Military Camp for six years.

Guo Songtao took the word and looked at the powerful handwriting on it, and the past came to mind. It was the time when Zeng Guofan recovered from a serious illness. Guo Songtao left Beijing for Zhejiang at the invitation of Tan Jun, a Zhejiang scholar. Just like today, Zeng Guofan bought a farewell dinner for him in his apartment, and later wrote these four poems in a letter and sent them to him. Guo Songtao thought: Did Sheng Di copy these four poems to me again today and secretly accuse me of leaving him when I was in trouble? His heart was filled with a trace of regret.

"Sheng Di, I will come back after living in Beijing for two years." As if to show his shame, Guo Songtao uttered this insincere remark.

"Narration fairy, your talent, suitable for John's garden, not in the army. Going back to Beijing is a good thing for you. If there is no other reason, you don't have to come to the army again. You contact the feelings of Beijing officials in Beijing, understand the major events in North Korea, and often write letters, which helps me a lot, perhaps more than in the army. "

Liu Rong said: "Just now, Sheng Di mentioned his feelings of contacting Beijing officials and understanding major events in North Korea, but it reminded me of one thing. Do you know? "

"What is it?" Zeng Guofan had an ominous premonition in his heart.

"A few days ago, Yuan of Wenzhongfu patrolled Nankang and counted the number of people in the camp."

"Wen Jun don't pay per head. Why should he care about my people? "

Zeng Guofan interrupted Liu Rong.

"The founding fathers said that the army was in Jiangxi, and the local hospitality was not good. Wen wants to send some gifts to his brothers. Let's count them. "

"There is a problem here." Guo Songtao said.

"I also feel wrong. Yuan Xun also said that there was no need to tell Assistant Minister Zeng, which made me more suspicious. So I left him and invited him to dinner politely. When he was drunk and hot, I took out a pair of ivory dominoes for him. "

"Where did you get these things?" Liu Rong has always been strict and never gambles on cards. Zeng Guofan was surprised that he had dominoes.

"I don't have this kind of thing." Liu Rong smiled and said, "This is Chunting's trophy. He asked me to keep it for him, saying it didn't matter if the gold and silver were lost. This thing can't be lost. It was insured with me. "

"Chunting loves gambling and drinking. After all, she is not a general. " Guo Songtao never likes rough Baochao.

"I gave this pair of ivory dominoes to Yuan Xun, who was very happy." Liu Rong didn't want to talk about outflanking, and then he said, "I asked him what the provincial capital thought of Assistant Minister Zeng Hehe recently. I heard from Wencheng and Deyin Hangbu the day before yesterday that I had been an assistant minister. "

Zeng Guofan's eyes stared at Liu Rong's face, which had become thick and dark, and he was a little worried.

"Yuan said that Deyin Hangbu said that Shouyang mentioned to the emperor that he had accomplished nothing in Jiangxi, but Yong Ding was increasing. Now he has sent a younger brother to Jiangxi to recruit thousands of soldiers. It's not a good thing that all three people in the family are leading troops and concentrated in Jiangxi! "

Zeng Guofan heard that, the in the mind a panic, palms oozing cold sweat.

"It is the qi old man at work. He should have been an official a long time ago, but he is always so obsessed with the stack. Not just failure. " Guo Songtao is very angry. Zeng Guofan's two brooms were locked in a line, with dull eyes and tight lips.

"Wen Wencheng listened to Yuan's words and said,' Shouyang is old-fashioned and worried about the country.' Wen Wencheng also said that Zeng's surname was headstrong and indifferent, and he couldn't get along with him. Chen was a fellow countryman in the same year, so his salary was slow, so he did it. With this person * * *, you should be on your guard everywhere, and you should pay attention. Deyin Hangbu said that Zeng was too shrewd to touch. When I heard this nonsense, I trembled with anger. I think it is clear that Wen Jun, Deyin Hangbu and Qi Juanzao colluded with each other and calculated us. If anything happens, they will be the first to impeach. "

"These demons!" Guo Songtao scolded.

The air in the room suddenly became tense. For a long time, Zeng Guofan sighed and said feebly, "something will happen to the sunset pavilion soon."

Liu Rong in the mind a tight. He regretted that he shouldn't have poured out his words just now, which made Zeng Guofan so sad, so he comforted him: "Bai Yang was born in troubled times and was victimized by powerful people, so he was forced to commit suicide. Today, the child is wise. Although Qi Shouyang is confused, he is not a traitor. He has a selfless accusation against you. He praised you for risking your life to fight directly. I think he just doesn't know much about what you have done in recent years, and he thinks that there are often incidents of insurrection in history, so he just reminds the emperor. Even if it is not you, if it is another Han Chinese, he will have this suspicion. "

Zeng Guofan said: "Meng Rong's handwriting is not bad. Although Qi Shouyang spoke ill of me in front of the emperor last time, this person is not a first-class person in Gengbao. "

"Besides, the emperor is a hundred times smarter than Han Andi." Guo Songtao interjected.

"yes." Liu Rong went on to say, "In the future, you should pay attention to everything. If you are careful, you will be able to avoid disaster and get lucky. "

"Cautious nature should, however," Zeng Guofan's nervousness has been eliminated and replaced by the pain of extreme injustice. "People like qi are knowledgeable, and both of them are very clear. At best, they are a "mediocre" word, but they have won the trust of the emperor and the support of everyone. They have a high rank and a good reputation, and Qi Juanzao is not the only one. In the second year of Xianfeng, Frant Gwo was named assistant minister. He doesn't know about state affairs. He just felt that the two dynasties were kind and innocent, and he couldn't bear to watch Ding move a thief, and Confucius and Mencius were humiliated. He overreached himself and raised a brave training corps with a scholar. I wish I could go up and down to Qi Xin and wipe out all the ugly ones. Who knows that when he was in Changsha, Bao Qibao couldn't bear it. After the defeat of Jinggang, Xiang Yong, who entered the city, was beaten. These two years in Jiangxi, step by step difficult, everywhere constraints. If you suffer so much in the local area, you will be unreasonably suspicious in North Korea. Alas! The rainbow penetrates Jing Qing's heart, and everyone who sees it thinks it is trivial and thin; Bi Hua Changhong's blood, the viewer thought it was a stone and abandoned it. It seems that my death is coming. One day you two will write an epitaph for me. If you can't make a sound for me, you will never be satisfied under the grave. "

Say and look dim, sigh for a long time. Suddenly, he left the party and went to the book case, writing nonstop. Then, he said to Guo Songtao, "Don't take that word just now. I'll give you another poem. "

Guo Songtao and Liu Rong took it and read:

Let Guo Junxian leave the camp and go to Jinjing.

The city is full of sorrow, and Qu Zi is a lonely soul for thousands of times.

Fantasy is more lawless, and it is better to have a burial place.

Someone cries at the sunset pavilion, when will the martyrs be brave?

Daye hates gold the most, which makes the world have strange materials!

Guo Songtao sighed, and Liu Rong was in tears. The three men looked at the cold cups and plates and were not in the mood to eat. Suddenly, hurried footsteps sounded outside, and Zeng Guofan's heart suddenly tightened.