"I'm serving tea to see the guests off..." With a melodious shout from the steward, the two Hanlin bachelors retreated from Marshal Zeng's study. Zeng Guofan stood up and took a few steps before stopping at the door of the study.
"Commander, please stay. Maybe Weng Zhongtang will come to see the commander in the evening. Please take care of yourself and don't work too hard..."
After sending away the two Qingliu lobbyists, Zeng Guofan sat back in his chair with a tired look on his face, and said with a wry smile to the ninth commander Zeng Guoquan, "The capital has never been my blessed place. I met six groups of guests in one afternoon, and I guess it won't be clean at night either." …”
"Brother, what are you talking about? This is why the eldest brother's status in the court has been proven. Now that the eldest brother has been eliminated, who can stabilize the situation? But I didn't expect that Xiao Letian would become like this in just over two years." Awesome, being so difficult to deal with in the long run will be our biggest enemy."
The Ninth Commander began to instill his theory again. Zeng Guofan's forehead tightened as he listened, "Forget it, I think you are really obsessed with it. I will repeat it ten thousand times. Don't have the sweet dream of changing the day." , that’s simply not realistic.”
"Brother, why are you so stubborn? This is Song Taizu's career. It's right in front of you. A foot of water jumps lightly..."
"Enough." Zeng Guofan roared, "What about Song Taizu's cause? Are we in troubled times now? Are the people completely desperate for the Manchu Qing Dynasty? Have all the forces recognized it?"
"Even if everything is ready, what we can get is just a small territory in the remnant Song Dynasty. Do the Mongolians on the grassland have one heart with us? Do the Tibetans in Qinghai and Tibet have one heart with us? Do the Uighurs in Xinjiang have one heart with us? Do you have one heart? Does the vast land outside the customs have anything to do with us?"
"If all I did was to bring about the end of the Song Dynasty with constant civil war, then I, Zeng Guofan, would be a sinner."
"Brother..." Ninth Commander was at a loss for words. He really couldn't resist Zeng Guofan's strange thoughts. Every time this topic came up, Zeng Guoquan didn't know how to answer.
Among traditional Chinese literati elites, there are actually two extremes in how they view national territory. In the eyes of conservatives, the traditional territory of the Han people should be within the Great Wall. Outside the Great Wall, the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and Xinjiang are all barbaric lands that belong to It's a pity to throw away the tasteless food.
As the Han people's national power becomes stronger, they will naturally expand outward. The purpose of occupying some wild lands is to obtain a little strategic buffer. Its purpose is nothing more than to maintain the land security of the Han people.
The other kind of elite, like Zeng Guofan, belongs to the ambitious Han elite. They have a dream of a great country and the glory of the Han and Tang Dynasties.
In their eyes, the expansion of territory can not only expand the living space of the Han people, but also obtain full benefits. The Han and Tang Dynasties managed the Western Regions in exchange for countless wealth.
The maritime trade in the early Ming Dynasty also filled the national treasury for a while. In the eyes of these elites, the wild land may not be of great use for a while, but as time goes by, it is not difficult for the industrious Han people to work hard for three or four generations. Build a land of plenty.
I think back then the Emperors Yan and Huang were just a few small tribes along the Yellow River. During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, the Chu State, Jiangnan, and Beijing were all barbarian lands. In the end, they became the home of the Han people.
In Zeng Guofan's heart, even the white-faced traitor Cao Cao knew about the expedition to Wuheng. The nomadic people in northern Saibei were so frightened that they never dared to go south in his life. Could it be that he was not even as ambitious as Cao Cao?
What's more, where is Wuheng? Isn't it just that Rehe crosses the current Chaoyang? Where Manchus and Han people live together, the number of Han people is already very considerable.
Zeng Guofan and Zeng Guoquan have a set of theories behind their ideas. After so many years, no one can convince the other. Whenever this topic is brought up, the brothers always break up unhappy.
"Hey...brother, just keep being so confused. Sooner or later, you will make wedding clothes for that bastard Xiao Letian. Now it seems that his rise is unstoppable. If you don't clear your name early, you will regret it when Xiao Letian comes to rescue you." Well..." After saying that, Jiu Shuai turned around and left.
Zeng Guofan shook his head and sighed and said, "You don't understand. Xiao Letian is the same type of person as me. He even sees further than me. Just look at his plans after entering Beijing this time. He doesn't look like a young man. He is clearly a An old thief with many years of experience, a big bandit who steals people's hearts... His mind is unimaginably big, and you can't understand it..."
After the Nine Marshals left, Zeng Guofan rested for a while and then it was time for dinner. As soon as the dinner was served, bad guests came to the door. Weng Tonghe, who had aged several years, came to visit.
After all, Weng Tonghe was the leader of the Qing Dynasty, and his status was different from that of ordinary scholars. Zeng Guofan invited him to the table for a drink, but he was stunned when he saw Weng Tonghe's appearance.
"Why is Changshu like this? How come you haven't aged like this in several years? If I remember correctly, you are twenty years younger than me."
Weng Tonghe bowed deeply and gave a great gift to a younger generation: "The handsome man has a good memory. The handsome man is nineteen years old. You have watched me grow up..."
"Haha, sit down, sit down, your father and I have been friends for a long time, just treat today as a family dinner, you're welcome."
The two of them sat down, and a maid poured wine for Weng Tong and Bu Cai. The wine was thirty-year-old daughter's red, and the food was spicy and fragrant Hunan cuisine. However, neither of them were thinking about eating and drinking. After three glasses of wine, Weng Tonghe couldn't bear it. I couldn’t help but get straight to the point.
"Commander, you are now the anchor of the imperial court. Whether the imperial court can survive this calamity depends on your attitude... That Xiao Letian is simply crazy. He slaughtered the Eight Banners disciples, stormed the city of Beijing, and performed martial arts in the Hall of Supreme Harmony. He even attempted to abduct His Majesty, which is extremely treasonous..."
Weng Tonghe scolded Xiao Letian in an exaggerated manner, leaving no trace of the magnanimity of a famous minister in his body. Zeng Guofan looked at a table of dishes that were sprayed with spit, and was so angry that he couldn't laugh or cry.
But he couldn't stop him yet. After all, he was still a loyal minister of the Qing Dynasty, so he had to nod his head in response to Weng Tonghe's attack.
After spraying for a quarter of an hour, Weng Tonghe's complexion improved a little. He took a few bites of food with chopsticks and drank a glass of wine. "Why don't you eat, Marshal? Is he filled with righteous indignation because of Xiao Letian's atrocities?"
Zeng Guofan's nose almost became crooked because he said to himself, "I won't eat your spit."
"Shu Ping, I understand your intention to fight against the country. Brother, please tell me clearly what you want me to do."
"Commander, you are very happy..." the old man raised his thumbs and praised, "The student has made it clear that Xiao Letian must withdraw from the capital and take his troops back to Tanggu and Ryukyu. The foreign affairs affairs of the country cannot be left to him. , should be led by the general...and His Majesty’s random thoughts must be rejected with righteous words. What’s the matter with the emperor traveling around the world?”
Zeng Guofan listened to the conditions in the old man's mouth and sighed in his heart. Isn't this a complete denial of everything Xiao Letian has done? Let him go back wherever he came from. It would be a great grace for the court not to kill his head.
This group of Qingliu is really an example of incompetence and shamelessness. It is expected that these sour men and the Qing Dynasty will be finished sooner or later.
After patiently listening to Weng Tonghe's nonsense, Zeng Guofan fell into deep thought. The silent atmosphere made the old man feel a little guilty. After a long time, he finally couldn't hold it anymore.
"Commander...Commander, please say something..."
Zeng Guofan looked at Weng Tonghe and said with a smile, "Do you want to hear the truth or a lie?"
"What this means is of course the truth."
"Haha, doesn't the truth lie in your heart? Tell yourself your conditions, can Xiao Letian agree? The reason you came to me is actually for the soldiers in my hands, and you want our Hunan Army to destroy Xiao Letian."
Weng Tonghe's old face turned red, "Hey... Commander, who else can the imperial court do to deal with Xiao Letian? If he had known that his new army was so capable, the imperial court should have gone to Rehe to avoid the limelight... When the time comes, we will mobilize all the troops and horses from all over the country to drown him in a naval battle..."
"Hey... it's good now. He has blocked Sijiu City. There are bayonets all over the city. The imperial court really can't afford to take risks..."
"Hahaha, you no longer have the strength and can't afford to take risks. Are you going to push me to power and make me bear the crime of starting a civil war?" Zeng Guofan laughed so hard that tears came out.
"Why did the commander say this? Xiao Letian is rebellious, so how can he call it a civil war?" Weng Tonghe said with a slight blush.
"Hmph..." Zeng Guofan snorted coldly, "It doesn't matter if I fight bloody battles with the Changmao and Nian troops, because they are all blatant rebels and ambitious people who want to found a country. It doesn't matter how many of those people I kill."
"But Xiao Letian is nothing. The court sent troops to attack him again and again, but Xiao Letian has not overthrown the court's ruling system until now. Did he kill an official in Tanggu? Did he raise a rebellion?"
"From the beginning to the end, Xiao Letian clung to his identity as the prime minister of the vassal state, and always faced all accusations as an aggrieved minister. Even his visit to Beijing this time was under the orders of the Empress Dowager Dong. , How do you ask me to eliminate such people?"
"I, Zeng Guofan, can kill traitors and foreigners, but I just can't kill my fellow ministers...I won't bear that eternal infamy."
Weng Tonghe had been scolded stupidly by Zeng Guofan. He said blankly, "Commander, the country cannot be shaken. Xiao Letian is a traitor. How can you say that he is also a minister of the Qing Dynasty."
"Why not." Zeng Guofan's voice rose several times, "He did not raise the flag to rebel. He followed the Queen Mother's decree and led troops to Beijing to protect the treasury and build people's livelihood in Beijing. Is this also what the rebels did?"
"Your uncle Ping is so powerful. May I ask why you didn't change Longxugou? Why didn't you stabilize the price of rice in the capital at 40 cents? If such a minister is said to be rebellious, then I really hope that the entire Qing court will be rebellious. .”
Weng Tonghe was dumbfounded by the commander's scolding. He stood up and said with trembling lips, "Commander, you have learned from the past and the present. Can't you see that Xiao Letian is trying to buy people's hearts? He wants to steal from the imperial court." To dig out the hearts of the people, he is a traitor... and will always be a traitor."
Zeng Guofan looked at Weng Tonghe coldly and said softly, "Even if he is a traitor, he is still a traitor who spends real money to pacify the people... Do the people want the price of 40 cents per liter of rice, or do you want your righteousness?" , this multiple-choice question doesn’t seem to be difficult.” This book was first published from, be the first to read the authentic content!
