Not long ago, Zeng Guofan was sparse again: Since his arrival in Hubei, Zeng Guofan has been sympathizing with his relatives and interviewing public opinion. According to officials, generals, gentry and common people, the reason why Wuhan fell again was actually due to the poor management of Chonglun and Taiyong, which caused many delays and the people hated them bitterly. The former governor Wu Wenrong was praised for his loyalty, diligence and concern for the country and his martyrdom. It was so violent that officials and people still think about it. Even the former minister Qinglin had many words of pity and no words of resentment.
Gai Yuan Wu Wenrong arrived in Hubei on September 15th of the previous year and received the seal at Mao. He heard the news of Tianjiazhen's defeat before it was engraven. The whole city was deserted, the officials were in a hurry and had no plan, and the people were distracted. Wu Wenrong summoned his staff and vowed to defend to the death. Immediately he moved to Baoanmen Gate Tower, with only one servant and one horse, no scribes, no soldiers, and no soldiers. He spent two months working on documents and scrolls with his hands day and night, and couldn't take off his clothes for two months. As a result, the people's hearts were slightly calmed down and the defeated troops were gathered together. The traitors still retreated downstream and did not dare to invade Eyuan lightly. If you persevere, you won't be able to turn the corner before it's too late.
Nai Chonglun often impeached Wu Wenrong to sit in the Yazhai and close the city to guard because of his personal grudges. In fact, the former governor stayed in the city tower day and night and did not stay in the Yazhai for a short time. The thing that thieves rely on to scare people is the large number of ships, thousands of sails, and thousands of cannons and thunder. If there is no boat division in the army, even though there are tens of thousands of land soldiers, they will be ignored and helpless.
Since the loss of defense in Tianjia Town last year, Wu Wenrong and Jiang Zhongyuan have exchanged letters with their ministers, all of which have regarded the preparation of the navy as their top priority. The minister was trying to build a warship in Hengzhou. Wu Wenrong repeatedly wrote to familiar merchants, explaining the methods of building ships, equipping cannons, selecting generals, and practicing battles. He thought carefully about the methods of building ships, equipped them with cannons, selected generals, and practiced battles. Each letter was more than a thousand words long, and his loyalty and enthusiasm overflowed in the lines. I am stupid and sigh that I think it is out of reach. He said that Hubei now only employs small rowing boats and river crossings and the like, which are not suitable for battle formations. They must wait for the boat master of the ministers to take care of them and sail to the center of Hubei before joining forces to suppress them. This is also the actual situation.
Chonglun, who was at a loss, did not notice, and said that the ships and cannons were ready, and ridiculed the governor for being afraid that he could not come out. Wu Wenrong was a strong-willed man by nature, and was deeply ashamed of his fear of gallbladders, so he went out angrily to fight. With the courage of his mixed soldiers who had repeatedly defeated them, he recruited new recruits who were not trained in the small army, and did not pay them for half a month, so he went to the enemy in a hurry. In addition, the residents were at odds with those who left, and everything was hampered. As a result, the entire army was defeated in the battle to block the city, and Hubei's prefectures and counties fell one after another. It was not Chonglun who participated in the impeachment and the fall that led to it. What is particularly surprising is that after participating in the impeachment, Wu Wenrong resolutely went out to fight, but Chong Lunfu led his staff to stop him.
My emperor once contradicted his strict orders. After the defeat of the city, Wu Wenrong was martyred, and everyone in the province's army and civilians knew about it. However, Chonglun was imprisoned for not knowing his whereabouts, and was not only excluded during his lifetime, but also slandered after his death.
On the 19th day of the first lunar month, Chonglun sent garrison Xiong Zhengxi to the Hengzhou area to urge his ministers to go to Hubei for rescue. He forged Wu Wenrong's message and borrowed the chief secretary's seal. In the message, he said that thieves were rampant in Huangzhou and did not talk about blocking the city. Defeated, the governor is dead. All kinds of falsehoods and pretense of suspicion are just that Wu Wenrong failed to die as a martyr, falsely accused someone of great integrity, and was always jealous. I really don’t know what he is doing!
Chen Guofan arrived in Huangzhou on September 21st. On the 22nd, he went to Ducheng to inspect the terrain of the camp that day, offered sacrifices to the spirit of Wu Wenrong, and inquired carefully about the residents there. He said that since Governor Wu arrived at the camp, the rain had The mud was several feet deep, and he patrolled every camp every day, stimulating the soldiers. On the 15th day of the first lunar month, when he saw thieves trampling on the four bases of the camp, the governor could not do anything. He kowtowed to the north in the snow and mud, cried bitterly and shouted that he could not look up to the holy court, so he threw himself into the pond and died. The pond was only six meters away from the camp gate. Seven feet. The natives speak of their hard work in daily life and their loyalty and indignation at the end of their lives. Those who still shed tears show that justice is not lost.
Wu Wenrong was favored by three dynasties and served as governor for twenty years. Before the seawall collapsed, he was so generous and fierce that he threw himself into the sea and died. How could he be willing to endure and survive when his entire army was wiped out? Fortunately, thanks to the guidance of the Holy Ming, he was bestowed with a beautiful posthumous title. Wu Wenrong was so humiliated by Xuesi that he will always be grateful to Jiuquan. Otherwise, if your reputation is falsely accused, you will still be angry even after your death.
Since Wu Wenrong was gone, Qinglin helped with military affairs, and Chonglun had a lot of disagreements with him: he asked for benefactors to protect him, but he refused; he asked for silver to make weapons, but he refused; or he did not let people know about military affairs, or he refused to cooperate after ten days. round trip. When Qinglin was in Changsha, he talked to his ministers about Chonglun's many constraints, and Taiyong sat idly by and did nothing to save him.
In general, running an army is like running a family. If the brothers are not in harmony, the family will be defeated. If the generals are not in harmony, the army will be defeated. Anyone who resents his brothers is not a good minister; anyone who ostracizes all generals is definitely not a good minister. Last year, Zhang Liangji wanted to defend Tianjiazhen with all his strength, but Chonglun blocked and blocked it, and then squeezed Wu Wenrong, and Xuan was afraid of harming Qinglin, all of which made Qian hate him underground. To be fair, the reason for the successive defeats and ruptures of Hubei Province cannot be stopped from hating Chonglun.
Since the bandits were based in Hanyang and Hankou, they reached Yichang in the west, De'an in the north, and invaded Hunan Province in the south. They captured Yue, Chang, and Lizhou three times, traversing more than a hundred prefectures and counties, ravaging everything, leaving all the houses in ruins and not even a blade of grass. Keep. Chonglun sat in a city and turned a blind eye to the looting and looting by bandits, and did not report in detail the lost country and land. The people all said: Governor Qing is here, he still has soldiers to drive away the bandits and plunder, and he still sends notices to pity the sufferings of the people; if he respects the governor and makes no notices but does not do it, he has no pity for us, and we are the innocent sons of the Qing Dynasty! Such is the grudge.
My Majesty, Your Majesty, treats your subordinates well and only dismisses them from their posts. If Chong Lun has a little bit of kindness, he should die as a reward. On the second day of the sixth lunar month, the city of Wuchang fell. Chonglun escaped with the troops and survived. He claimed that he was dismissed from his post and returned to Beijing. He had left Hubei the day before and petitioned for transfer. As a high-ranking official in a feudal territory, no matter whether he is in office or in office, it is his duty to die. Even if he does not die, he might as well speak out clearly. Why should he fill the sun and the moon with his head and hide his crime of escaping after the city is destroyed? If you impeach a person, you will still falsely accuse him even though he is dead; if you punish yourself, you will live and keep it secret. Isn't it shameless!
Since I entered the territory of Hubei, I have witnessed the devastation and interviewed public opinion, and all of them blamed Chonglun. The success or failure of the rest of the year is related to the overall situation of the Southeast, so I dare not tell it truthfully. How the crime should be punished and severely punished, the Holy Lord has a certain balance, and the humble minister dare not suggest it. All of them are based on public opinions and explain the reasons for the merits and demerits of the former governors and governors of Hubei Province. They are respectfully attached to the post and reported to the emperor, and they beg the emperor for his judgment to be implemented. I would like to play.
When Emperor Xianfeng heard about it, he angrily accused Chonglun of taking refuge in secret and neglecting his kindness, and ordered him to be arrested and punished. He also said: Zeng Guofan, a scholar, was able to achieve such extraordinary achievements, yet he was so low-key, and he was a pillar of the country!
Prince Gong Yixin said: "Wars are going on everywhere, but the Hubei region is going smoothly. There is no progress in Luzhou, Zhenjiang, Pukou, Jinling, Lianzhen, Gaotang, etc."
Qi Junzao, the chief military minister, added: "In this dynasty, there is no dedicated Han supervisor in the family. Zeng Guofan is a minister, and he is like a common man. A common man lives in a village, and when he calls, more than 10,000 people jump up and follow him. If he is given the title of Border Qi, Returning to the position of commander-in-chief is too authoritative and may not be a blessing to the country."
Censor Shen Baozhen wrote: Jiujiang in Jiangxi, Anqing in Anhui, and Jinling in Suzhou were all occupied by thieves. Zeng Guofan, the current minister, is in Wuchang, his morale is blazing. He should quickly move eastward and overcome the southeastern half. The country will be unified, which will be a blessing to all people.
Wen Qingzhuo, minister of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and scholar of the Hanlin Academy, said: At this time of crisis, Han officials should be used more seriously. Bi Duo came from the fields, knew the sufferings of the people, and was familiar with the hypocrisy of love. How could it be that we, before we left the country, were ignorant of the grand plan?
Emperor Xianfeng pondered for a long time, and then told Zeng Guofan: I know that you will resign, and also thinking that the whole army will move eastward, I will appoint Fukong in his name, and reward him with the title of Minister of the Ministry of War. I will decree that you do not need to act as governor of Hubei. Although this memorial of yours is not entirely stubborn, the fact that your official title is not written down is a minor offense, but the crime of disobedience is a serious one. Follow strict instructions.
When Zeng Guofan received the order, he was extremely frightened. He begged and said: "I knelt down to listen, and I was so frightened that I couldn't explain it." The minister did not dare to join the current official list because his mother's service was not yet completed. Therefore, he did not sign a new title, and he did not know that he had violated the decree. Fortunately, He Hongci gave instructions and was forgiven by the Holy Grace. He only added admonitions, embodying the meaning of understanding and forgiveness in the mention and tearing.
