Weng Tonghe was shocked. He couldn't imagine that Zeng Guofan would actually say such heart-wrenching words, and actually stand up for Xiao Letian with a clear-cut stand. Is this still a minister of the Qing Dynasty? Could it be that the 500,000 Hunan Army made Zeng Guofan have evil thoughts? .
A chill ran up from his lower back, and at that moment Weng Tonghe felt desperate.
But he didn't dare to fall out with Zeng Guofan. Even though he could scold Xiao Letian, he definitely didn't dare to scold Marshal Zeng. The power of the Hunan Army had long been spread across the government and the public. The court was now trying its best to appease Zeng Guofan. They and Qingliu were the only ones left. The Hunan Army was bound by the rope of the great cause of justice.
The imperial court's attitude towards Zeng Guofan was very unified, that is, they held him up as a moral gentleman, used kind words to push him into the crowd of loyal ministers, and kept talking about being a saint and leaving his name in history.
In real history, this is how the Manchu and Qing Dynasties tied up Zeng Guofan with a moral rope. His family letters, his ice books, and his poetry quotations were all praised by the government and the public. The posture at that time was to create a new saint. Come.
It is not that the generals in the Hunan Army have not made preparations to wear yellow robes, especially the Ninth Commander Zeng Guofan. According to unofficial records, he was already ready to raise the flag. The so-called mysterious disappearance of the Holy Treasury of Heaven is also very likely to be the cause of the Hunan Army's rebellion. Funds are reserved.
To be honest, the imperial court has no means to deal with Zeng Guofan, and it cannot be beaten. It is impossible to buy the imperial court with money and is not as rich as Jiangnan. As for assassination and the like, it is impossible to even think about it.
In the end, I have no choice but to find a rope from Confucianism. After much deliberation, moral kidnapping is the most effective. I will use the power of public opinion across the country to mold you Zeng Guofan into a saint and a gentleman. I think you will be shameless in the end.
As the leader of Qingliu, Weng Tonghe knew this strategy very well, so he could angrily rebuke Xiao Letian, but he did not dare to say a bad word about Marshal Zeng. Even if Zeng Guofan said something against the court in person, Weng Shuping would not You have to listen honestly.
"Commander, if you think so, then the country is really doomed. Xiao Letian has soldiers and money and now he wants to buy people's hearts. This is a precursor to rebellion. Could it be that hundreds of thousands of Hunan troops laid down Peace will eventually be given to Xiao Letian."
"It is not easy for the country to put down several major chaos. The people in the world are in chaos and need to rest and recuperate. How can we tolerate Xiao Letian destroying this hard-won peace at this time..."
"That's enough. You, Weng Tonghe, are really stupid because of your studies. You keep saying that you want peace and rest with the people. On the other hand, you are still encouraging me and Xiao Letian to go to war. Don't you feel that you are contradictory?"
"Ryukyu is a vassal state of the Qing Dynasty. Xiao Letian's identity as the prime minister of the vassal state was conferred by King Shangtai. It is reasonable and legal. Why should our country say that he is rebellious? Even if he leads troops, it is still the internal affairs of Ryukyu. It is a dignified country. Isn’t it too much for the Prime Minister to lead thousands of soldiers?"
"Let's talk about the Tanggu Special Administrative Region. It was originally approved by the imperial court. The New Army's status as the guardian of the special zone was also made clear by the imperial court. You fought without declaring it and in the end, you actually labeled it as a rebel. You should take it for granted. Everyone in the world is blind."
After being scolded, Weng Tonghe broke out in cold sweat. The commander-in-chief with millions of troops had his own majesty and aura, but he only knew that he was no match for him in the books he was reading.
"Commander... Are you abandoning the emperor? Marshal, you can't do that..." Weng Tonghe was almost crying.
Zeng Guofan felt secretly happy. I asked you to pretend, drop your book bag with me, and play around with me. You are still very young. But now that Weng Tong's kimono has softened, Zeng Guofan has achieved his goal.
He snorted softly, "Hmph... Why do you have so many idiots in the imperial court who dare to do things but don't take responsibility? They only cause trouble and can't deal with the consequences. If I wanted to abandon the emperor, I would have led troops to Beijing two years ago..."
"You have to remember that loyalty to the emperor is not your loyalty to the law, and government affairs are not what you scholars take for granted."
As soon as Weng Tonghe heard that the handsome man's words softened, he quickly hit the snake and followed the stick: "Yes, yes, the teacher is right, the disciple has learned..."
After the tense atmosphere was lifted and the room became harmonious again, Zeng Guofan officially began to instruct this future famous minister who was nineteen years his junior.
"What exactly is government? It's not what you call justice, nor what you call righteousness. The so-called government is actually the conflict between various forces and the final balance..."
"Don't say nice things about the people of the world. They are all bluffing. You, Weng Tonghe, will not move officials to serve as herdsmen and the people to serve as sheep. Not to mention, who came up with the strategy of driving the people to the battlefield? of."
After saying one sentence, Weng Tonghe's face turned purple, his lips moved a few times but he didn't dare to open his mouth.
"Hmph...I won't mention this matter anymore, but at the court meeting in three days, if you are still as stupid as you are today, a disastrous defeat will surely await you."
"Please teach me, teacher..." This time Weng Tonghe was finally convinced.
"Negotiation is about doing business. There has to be a bargain. You can't take all the limelight. You can't give all the benefits to you and leave nothing to others."
"You say it's not possible to run a telegraph line, you say it's not possible to run a newspaper, it's not possible to promote Western learning, and it's even more impossible to sell some cheap rice in the capital. If it doesn't work, it always won't work. So let me ask you, is this the attitude you should have in negotiations? .”
"It's just that you have been so aggressive this time and blocked all possibilities for negotiation. As a result, what others can't get with their mouths can only be snatched with fists and guns. It's already here, haven't you woke up yet? .”
At this point, Zeng Guofan smashed his wine glass, "Why did the British and French forces attack Beijing six years ago, and why did they burn down the Old Summer Palace? Why did you bother to cause such a military disaster when problems that could be solved through diplomatic negotiations were obvious. "
"I'm not excusing the foreigners. The foreigners want to preach and open ports. I am opposed to it in my heart. But opposition does not mean closing the door to negotiations. It is better to have a loud quarrel at the negotiation table than to go to war with an army."
"The same treaty, negotiated on the negotiation table, can it be the same as the one forced out by the enemy with a bayonet? Even if the final result is to bow to the foreigners, we don't have to fight a losing war, how can we lose the capital? and the Old Summer Palace.”
This was really a shocking statement. Weng Tonghe was dizzy at the time. He never expected that Zeng Guofan would say such a truth.
Yes, if the "Beijing Treaty" and "Tianjin Treaty" were signed at the negotiating table, then the conditions should not be so harsh. At least the war reparations would not be needed, and the Old Summer Palace would not be burned down.
It's still the face of the Celestial Kingdom that has been causing trouble since ancient times. If you don't remember to eat, but don't remember to pack a coffin, and don't hold it against the door, you don't know how to write the word "death". You are brainless and arrogant and have no wisdom at all. Don't look at Tiantian Qinqi, calligraphy and painting, writing The poems and essays produced are enough to be handed down to the world, but they are all a bunch of smart people without great wisdom.
Literary men like Zeng Guofan, Hu Linyi, Zuo Zongtang, including Li Hongzhang and Zhang Zhidong are truly talented people with great wisdom. They can calm the people when they dismount, and manage the army when they mount. They know the current affairs without being pedantic, and they know what it means to be flexible.
If Zeng Guofan had been the leader of the war six years ago, the Qing Dynasty would never have lost so miserably. The foreigners took away some missionary rights and port business rights. As for the war reparations, it is out of the question, because the war would never have happened. .
Weng Tonghe said with trembling lips, "Back then...the pressure from the imperial court was too great. Anyone who tried to negotiate with foreigners in Beijing was labeled a traitor. At that time, the whole government and the public had one voice...the Celestial Empire." Don’t lose face.”
"Look...this is an angry young man who harms the country. He just wants to be happy for a while. You must know that in this world, strength is respected. You have no power to defeat others, and you still want to instigate the court to fight."
"Haha, it's not you who will die in the end anyway. When the time comes, your heads will shrink and you will act like a turtle. If you are still alive, you will simply deny what you have said and shift the responsibility to the court and the army. You will become someone who is worried about the country and the people. A gentleman."
"Shu Ping, it's true that you are the recognized leader of Qingliu, but don't let those angry youths be fooled by you. You must have certain rules in your own mind."
"At the court meeting three days later, think carefully about what are your core interests and what are secondary interests that can be given up. Don't always think that all the benefits are yours. Be careful that if you want everything, you will lose everything in the end. …”
"Core interests, interests that can be given up..." These words were in Weng Tonghe's mouth like a thousand pounds of olives.
"What we can't give up is the emperor and the country of the Qing Dynasty." The old man muttered to himself as if he was dreaming.
"Tch..." Zeng Guofan sneered, "Think about it carefully, is your core interest really the emperor?"
It was already late at night, and in the end Weng Tonghe didn't ask what the core interests were. Perhaps only he could give the answer to this kind of thing.
After sending Weng Tonghe away, Jiu Shuai came to his eldest brother and said disdainfully, "Brother, why bother talking nonsense to these people? He has no ability except his mouth. Even if he has good intentions, he is nothing but material for doing bad things..."
"Hey... After all, his father and I still have a good relationship. It's better to give some guidance. As for whether he can realize anything, it depends on them..."
While he was talking, a gust of northwest wind blew in the garden, rustling the dead leaves on the ground. The ninth commander quickly took a silver fox cloak from the soldiers and put it on his eldest brother.
"Brother, the night breeze is too cold, let's go inside."
"It's better to be colder. People's minds will be clearer when it's colder. I hope the cold wind blown by Xiao Letian can make the court sober... Do you know, there is a jadeite Ruyi placed in the west wing, which was yesterday Sent by the Empress Dowager Cixi."
"Haha, if you wish, if you wish, as I wish, you are now extending an olive branch to me. This woman is really willing to go out of her way to control the government."
"Oh, what kind of conditions did the old witch offer... If you ask me, I will eat their bait, and in the end I won't do anything for them. When he killed Sushun six years ago, who cared about our feelings? Now We have been used, and we know that we will give her Ruyi, so today we will not let her Ruyi..."
Zeng Guofan was silent when he mentioned Sushun. This Manchu scholar who saved Zuo Zongtang's life and ensured his own military training was a descendant of Aisin Gioro, the seventh grandson of Prince Zheng Xian Jierhalang, and Prince Wu of Zheng Shen. The son of Ergong'a, the head of the eight ministers of Gu Ming who was pro-Han officials and hated the Manchu officials, could never come back.
"Yuting, you are the one who makes the most use of Han officials among the Manchu royal family I have ever seen, and you are also the most open-minded. If you were still alive, maybe the Westernization Movement and industrialization of the Qing Dynasty would not be so difficult. "It's a pity that you left early..."
Looking back on every detail of my benefactor, the old man of the Zeng family shed two tears.
