Zhao Xinyan felt something in his heart and felt that he had heard of it somewhere, so he asked someone to find Liu Daguan's resume. After reading his resume, he remembered that Yuan Mei had mentioned this person to him when he came to Beihai Town last year.
Liu Daguan, courtesy name Zhengfu, was born in Qiu County, Linqing Prefecture, Shandong Province. In the forty-second year of Qianlong's reign, he was recommended by the academic administration and entered the Imperial Academy in Beijing as a Gongsheng student. The following year, he passed the second-class imperial examination and was subsequently sent to Guangxi as a county magistrate for probation. This person worked in Guangxi for ten years, including Guilin Prefecture, Liuzhou Prefecture, Pingle Prefecture in the east, and Zhen'an Prefecture in the west. At his peak, he held the seal of the prefect of Zhen'an Prefecture. When he was an official, his official reputation was very good. He was neither corrupt nor corrupt and had the courage to do his job.
After so many years in the 18th century, Zhao Xin knew a lot about the imperial examination. He knew that in addition to the "regular tribute" that was paid to donate, others such as Engong, Bagong, Fu Gong, and Sui Gong were all regarded as being from the imperial examination, and their achievements were equivalent to those on the official list. For example, Bagong is a student with both literary and professional skills selected by the academic administration of each province, and is only selected every twelve years. If we use the situation of later generations as an analogy, it is similar to the 985 special enrollment.
Bagong students had to take the imperial examination, and those who were selected were appointed as seventh-grade capital officials in the first class, county magistrates in the second class, and teachers in the third class. As for those who are unqualified, they can only go back and forth, which is called "waste tribute".
Jinshi can rise all the way up as an official, and if things go well, they can eventually become a frontier official, military minister, etc.; while Bagongsheng only has the reputation of being a civil servant, so he can only go around in low-level official positions of the sixth and seventh grades throughout his life. Of course, if you still want to move up, it's not impossible. In addition to having a good official reputation, you also have to spend money to "donate extra classes." At most, you can only reach the fourth level. Like Zuo Zongtang of later generations, being able to become a feudal official or even directly enter the central government by virtue of his reputation was a special case in troubled times.
In the fifty-fourth year of Qianlong's reign, Liu Daguan's stepmother passed away and Ding You returned to his hometown. After the funeral, Liu Daguan went out for a trip and made a special trip to Xiaocangshan Suiyuan to visit. Because he was very familiar with Yuan Mei's friends Li Songpu and Li Shaohe, and the latter two had also served as officials in Guangxi, so the two had a good conversation.
Zhao Xin considered that He Xiwen and his men were all more than brave but lacking in literary skills; once the Northern Navy entered Guangxi, and with the rapid collapse of Qing rule, it became a top priority to control chaos and maintain stability, and a familiar figure was necessary. People with local government affairs and public sentiments assisted.
You must know that although the Yongzheng period carried out drastic changes in the southwest, there are still many chieftains in the southern part of Guangxi. Although these people were obedient and obedient when the Manchu regime was strong, as the old regime collapsed, the native officials would definitely engage in mischief.
Liu Daguan has been an official in Guangxi for many years, and he is a people-friendly official at the county magistrate level. He should have a good understanding of both subordinate officials and people's livelihood. Thinking of this, Zhao Xin decided to meet him.
In the morning of the next day, Liu Daguan, who had been staying in the backyard of the Kaiyuan County Government Office, followed a staff officer from the headquarters to the living room in Xuanzhenguan. After waiting for a while, the guard outside the door shouted "Salute", and then Zhao Xin strode in.
Because he had been warned in advance and knew that Beihai Town had no rules about kneeling before officials, and the staff officer who brought him here did not clearly say who wanted to see him, Liu Daguan just stood up, bowed to Zhao Xin, and said: "Linqing Prefecture Qiu County health officer Liu Zhengfu, pay homage to the general!"
Yo? Zhao Xin saw that his speech and behavior were neither humble nor arrogant, and he thought it was interesting. He actually did not mention the county official status given by the Manchu Qing Dynasty, but only talked about his fame. He smiled and said: "Hello, Mr. Liu. I invited you here today because I have something to ask. Please sit down."
"Don't you know the general's surname?"
"My surname is Wang, and I am currently in charge of logistics affairs." Zhao Xin did not intend to reveal his identity, and he was worried that telling the other party would scare the other party and make it impossible to talk later.
"Mr. Liu, I have read the resume you wrote before. Last year, Mr. Yuan Zicai came to Beihai Town as a guest. I had the honor to chat with him for a few words, and he also mentioned you and praised you very much."
Zhao Xin's tone was very calm, but in Liu Daguan's mind, it was like the sound of Huang Zhong Da Lu, which made his brain buzz. He never imagined that Yuan Zicai would have an affair with Beihai Town! No wonder this person is called the "Tongtian Old Fox", he is so hidden.
Yuan Mei had a good impression of Liu Daguan. When he recommended Liu Daguan to Zhao Xin, he also compared the Tianbao County he governed to a paradise: ". There is no criminal in prison for three years. Every month, one or two pieces of official ultimatum are collected, and Xu The officials come to serve in the morning and return to the fields in the afternoon. There are no beggars, advocates, or thieves in the county, and there is no such thing as gambling, seaweed, silk, and satin. There are 800 gold to raise a person, and the annual salary, rice, chickens, and dolphins , all the parents and children carry it on their backs. Under the moonlight, Yangko is played everywhere, and only then can we know that the scenery of Taoyuan is still in the world."
To be honest, Zhao Xin was very dissatisfied with the people recommended by Yuan Mei. Those who can discuss friendship with this old man are usually good at writing poetry, and their political ability is purely incidental. Besides, the so-called "Utopia" in these days was nothing more than a remote location and a backward economy, otherwise the people would not even know about gambling and silk fabrics.
Seeing the unconscious surprise on the other party's face, Zhao Xin smiled slightly, and then threw another bomb, completely shocking Liu Daguan. "The one who went to Beihai Town with layman Cangshan was Mr. Oubei. I must have heard of Mr. Liu, right?"
How could Liu Daguan not know Zhao Yi? That was his role model as an official and even in life. The latter had been the prefect of Zhen'an, Guangxi for two years, but more than ten years earlier than him. When he first arrived in Tianbao County, Zhenan Prefecture, the local people still missed Zhao Yi.
It was said that Zhao Yi originally planned to wait until the border negotiations between Beihai Town and Li Chao were completed before leaving, but unexpectedly, he waited until winter before returning. If Yuan Mei hadn't gone back in advance to greet Yangzhou Anding Academy for him, everyone in the academy would have thought something had happened to him.
Afterwards, Zhao Xin asked some things about Liu Daguan's tenure in Guangxi. When the latter heard this, he started talking non-stop. During the conversation, Zhao Xin asked many times about the situation of Nanning Prefecture, Si'en Prefecture, and Zhen'an Prefecture. Liu Daguan was only familiar with Zhen'an Prefecture in western Guangxi, and picked up what he knew about the other prefectures.
It was past noon as the two of them talked. Liu Daguan was also hungry, and his stomach made an unsatisfactory sound. Zhao Xin was a little embarrassed and quickly ordered the food to be prepared. The guards outside had been waiting for a long time and hurriedly brought out four dishes and one soup. Liu Daguan took a look and saw that there were two meat and two vegetarian dishes, and the dishes were very ordinary. There was only one tomato and egg soup that he didn't recognize.
"General Wang, please forgive Liu's ignorance. What is this?" Liu Daguan took a mouthful with a spoon and felt that it tasted good.
"Tomato, tomato." Zhao Xin saw that the other party still didn't understand, so he thought for a while and said, "Have you ever heard of Panshi?"
"Oh, I seem to have seen it in some book."
The history of Chinese people eating tomatoes is actually not long. Although they were introduced and cultivated in the Tianqi Year of the Ming Dynasty, they were always used as ornamental plants and were not eaten until the late Qing Dynasty in another time and space. Moreover, the ornamental tomatoes grown in these years are simply incomparable with the plump ones of later generations. The tomatoes eaten in Beihai Town are seeds brought by Zhao Xin from another time and space; specifically for the troops, they are all homemade cans.
During the dinner, Zhao Xin suddenly remembered something. When Liu Daguan had almost finished eating, he asked curiously: "Mr. Liu, I heard that all the candidates for officials in the capital regard the journey outside the customs as a dangerous journey, and no one wants to come. What's wrong with you?" Dare you come to Kaiyuan to take office?"
Liu Daguan couldn't help being stunned. He put down his bowls and chopsticks, remained silent for a moment, and sighed: "I'm not afraid of General Wang's jokes. When Liu came to take office, he originally planned to find an opportunity to join King Zhao. Who would have thought that you would turn on the original force like a fierce fire, and not yet When I find a chance to contact you, you will already be at the gate."
This time it was Zhao Xin's turn to be stunned. After some questioning, he finally understood what was going on.
Wasn't it said earlier that Liu Daguan was traveling during the period of Ding You? It was this trip to Jiangsu and Zhejiang that allowed him to see that under the cloak of prosperity advocated by the Qing Dynasty, what was covered up was a picture stained with blood and tears, hiding a crisis that was difficult to save.
Yangzhou was originally a gathering place for wealthy merchants. However, facing the critical juncture when the Manchu edifice was about to collapse, salt merchants and officials still regarded luxury as the top priority and competed for extravagance. They spent everything on weddings and funerals, food and drinks in the halls, clothes and horses. a few millions. They squandered their money, spent a lot of money on gardening and cooking, preached songs and dances, had fun, and lived in a state of intoxication. Regardless of whether they are officials or subordinates, they have lost all their integrity and only pursue profit. They blackmail the people and exploit them at all levels. Officials and businessmen collude with each other. It can be said that people are full of desires and their eyes are full of filth. What he saw and heard along the way made him fall into deep contemplation.
After Liu Daguan arrived in Yangzhou, he first went to Anding Academy to visit Zhao Yi and expressed his confusion. At that time, Zhao Yi was filled with emotion after hearing this, and even showed him his poems written over the years. After Liu Da watched it, he realized that the other party was also in confusion and hesitation, even more serious than himself. However, after some painful reflection, Zhao Yi has given up the idea of becoming an official. He regards articles as "a great cause of governing the country and an immortal event." I would like to live in fame, wealth and honor again and just go with the flow.
However, Liu Daguan wasn't Zhao Yi who was already in his sixties. He was still less than forty at the time. He couldn't just go back to his hometown and live in seclusion, right? "Zuo Zhuan" talks about the "three establishments" - establishing morality, meritorious service, and establishing reputation. His full ambition has not been realized yet!
As a scholar in the feudal era, Liu Daguan was influenced by traditional Confucian thought since childhood. In his choice of life path, he could not go beyond the requirements of the general ethical code of self-cultivation, family order, country governance, and world peace. However, the imperial court is so bad, what can he, a lower-level official born in Bagong, do?
When he learned that Wang Zhong, Liu Taigong, Hong Liangji, Jiang Fan and others had fled with their families and fled to Beihai Town, he was shocked beyond words. Because he had been an official in Guangxi for a long time, he didn't know much about Beihai Town. He couldn't understand why these people who he once looked up to wanted to join the rebellion of ruthless bandits called "monsters" by the court.
However, as he learned more and more about Beihai Town from the people and literati in the south of the Yangtze River, especially the rumors that millions of disaster-stricken refugees were taken away in the 50th, 52nd and 56th years of Qianlong's reign, There is also an underlying change in thinking.
In the history of another time and space, during the period of Liu Daguan and Ding You, his father also died, so he did not become an official until the winter of the 59th year of Qianlong. However, in this time and space, because merchants who went to Anping Port for trade introduced the anti-inflammatory drugs produced in Beihai Town to the coastal provinces and sold them privately, Liu Daguan's father, who suffered from a lung infection, finally escaped and recovered after a few months. Fully recovered.
So he went to Beijing the winter before last and learned from his fellow villagers who were officials in Beijing that the soonest person to take office would be Kaiyuan County Magistrate, so he became interested. The official of the Ministry of Personnel was originally worried. When he saw that someone dared to go, he completed all the procedures on his side the next day after the interview.
When the "credential", that is, the letter of appointment from the imperial court, some acquaintances advised him not to take up the post outside the customs. However, Liu Daguan was very stubborn and it was useless to let others rub off on him. At the farewell banquet before leaving Beijing, several friends shed tears to see him off, feeling that his departure would be unlucky.
Now it seems that if they had known that Yuan Mei and Zhao Yi were related to Beihai Town, why would they have bothered? When the Northern Navy fired artillery to wash away the city wall, it scared him badly. At that time, he was pretending to command the defense on the north wall. If he ran slower, he would tell the truth directly.
After listening to Liu Daguan's self-analysis, Zhao Xin couldn't help but look at this person with admiration.
You must know that in such an apocalyptic environment, it is indeed very rare to be able to be independent, maintain a clear mind, and even make decisive choices. In this person's conversation, there is neither the "wow and spit"" pretentiousness of the "Yuling honest man" Chen Zhongzi, nor the noble attitude of "not eating Zhou millet" like Boyi and Shuqi Kunzhong. It is really rare. . However, out of insurance, Zhao Xin did not say anything about recruitment until Liu Daguan left. He only said that he would report it to the superiors and let him go back and wait for a few days to find out.
Afterwards, Zhao Xin asked his staff to send a telegram to Wang Changsheng, asking the Intelligence Bureau to investigate Liu Daguan through the intelligence stations in Beijing, Yangzhou and Jiangning to see if it was a background check as he said. If there is no problem, let his subordinates talk to him again, and first go to the administrative school in Beihai Town for two months of training classes before going to Guangxi. In addition, he had to select a few people who took part in the imperial examination last year to go with him.
For several days after that, Zhao Xin devoted his main energy to the progress of the battle. Just when the Qing army in Shengjing was cut off from its retreat and was about to be surrounded on three sides, the Northern Navy's battle at the southernmost tip of the Liaodong Peninsula finally began.
At dawn on July 18, the Northern Navy fleet coming from Mokuowai and stopping at Anping Port used four motor-driven, sailing and gunboats to launch a bombardment of the Manchu and Qing water strongholds in Lushunkou. In an instant, the sky collapsed and the earth shook. The dense shells, with terrifying roars, swarmed towards the docks and the military camps on the shore. For a time, there were explosions inside and outside the Lushun Water Camp, ships and houses were destroyed, and the forts of the Qing army were ablaze, with vegetation burning.
On the same night, the Beihai Navy on the Jiaodong side dispatched a regiment of troops, crossed the Wansui River in the east of Laizhou Prefecture, and approached the seat of Laizhou Prefecture, the county seat of Ye County. To the south, another regiment crossed the Baisha River at the southern foot of Daze Mountain and headed straight for Pingduzhou City.
Facing the Northern Navy's all-out attack on Laizhou Prefecture, Liu Yong, who had been staying in Jinan, finally couldn't sit still. When he once again sent an emergency report to the capital, he took more than 30,000 troops recruited from all over central Shandong. Green camp and group training rushed to Qingzhou Mansion at starry night.
He knew very well that once the army in his hand was defeated, the whole of Shandong would be completely finished!
1. Yuan Mei’s evaluation of Liu Daguan can be found in the first chapter of "Suiyuan Shihua.Supplement.Volume 3". 2. Chen Zhongzi’s allusion comes from "Mencius. Teng Wen Gong Xia". Chen Zhongzi was a native of Qi State in the Spring and Autumn Period, and his elder brother was the Prime Minister of Qi. Zhongzi thought that his brother was doing something unjust, so he took his wife away from home and lived in Yuling. He asked his wife to weave linen in exchange for food and clothing. Later, one time when he went back to visit his mother, he accidentally ate the goose given to his brother by others. When he found out, he vomited. In later generations, some people used this incident to say that Chen Zhongzi had a noble character. However, Mencius ridiculed this: "If you don't eat what your mother gives you, you will eat what your wife gives you. If you don't live in your brother's house to be filial to your mother, but go to live in Yuling, can this be considered a noble character? At best, you are an earthworm. .”
