Chapter 52: Shi Hai’s hook sinks (2)

The Qing Dynasty had been in the pass for 200 years. As Zeng Guofan and Zheng Zuchen said when talking to him, the Qing Dynasty ruled over the Ming Dynasty, and the issue of the civil affairs order and the importance of cultural people were far from comparable to the previous dynasty. Since the promulgation of the imperial edict that never increased the tax in the 38th year of Kangxi, the kings of later generations have been unswervingly trusted and have been said to have been very blessed by the people in the past three Jiazi periods.

For scholars, if there was still the idea of ​​anti-Qing and restoring the Ming Dynasty during the Kangxi and Yongzheng period, it was already scattered today, and it was not worth laughing at! Correspondingly, since the Qianlong period, every spring examination, autumn examination, and court officials were selected, they all followed. People in the world regard studying as officials as the first good thing. For them, from the Qianlong period to the Jiadao dynasty, the emperor's right-written language was actually a way for the people of the world to enter. Let's give an example: the three examinations in the fifty-four, fifty-five, and fifty-eight years of Qianlong, and there were less than a hundred people in the palace examination. It can be seen that all the talents in the world have been collected!

During the Jiadao dynasties, the emphasis and use of scholars was even more than the pinnacle (in real history, Hong Yang Junxing, Zeng, Zuo, and Hu led the troops to maintain traditional Chinese ethics, and rose to maintain the traditional Chinese ethics. It was not the result of the court's attention, rectification, application, and vigorous cultivation of talents by the imperial examinations). There were a few famous scholars in all provinces in the world, so they would not worry about the two lists being unknown.

This time, Emperor Xianfeng gave Zeng Guofan an important task and ordered him to recruit famous scholars in the two lakes, Jiangnan areas where scholars gathered and recruited talents to serve the country, which caused heated discussion among all scholars in the world. This time, the decree was not only handed over to Zeng Guofan, but also to the governors, governors, and academic officials of the 18 provinces under the Qing Dynasty. In the words of the emperor's will, he said: "The method of revival is nothing more than the word talent. Today, the talented and talented people live among the people or hide in hills and valleys... I am eager to seek talent. The governors and governors from all over the country should carefully understand my heart, try to dig, and search for them all, so that I can make my wishes to make the world's voluntary wise and understand the world."

Such a decree is revealed in the world, and naturally makes the people realize the emperor's determination to seek innovation, change and talent. This is a bit like what Gong Zi'an asked for in his poem: "...reducing talents without any restrictions". It not only gives home reading, but also gives many scholars who are from the right path a new mood.

Like Zuo Zongtang, Jiang Zhongyuan was also a juren. He was in his hometown to practice troupes to resist the bandit Lei Zaihao. Moreover, Jiang Zhongyuan was good at using troops, which aroused internal discord in Lei Zaihao. He also killed Lei Zaihao and wiped out such a rebellion. Later, the court rewarded him for his merits and appointed him as the magistrate of Xiushui County, Zhejiang Province. However, he soon resigned from office on the grounds that his mother was in the hall and was crying secretly.

He started his career with military merits and became a regular seal official, but his colleagues did not look down on him as a "blood-red man". He always thought that Jiang Zhongyuan led his troops as a scholar and could not escape the ridicule of soldiers. Although it was an excuse for his mother to return in the church, this was a very open and upright excuse, Jiang Zhongyuan went to the ministry to establish a bond and returned to his hometown to serve his mother. It was not because he was excluded everywhere during his tenure in Zhejiang Province.

This time the decree was passed on to the province. Wang Zhenji, the prefect of Baoqing Prefecture (Xinning belongs to Baoqing Prefecture), naturally also wanted to recommend the "wise and wise men" under the jurisdiction of this prefecture. The first thing Wang Zhenji thought of was Jiang Zhongyuan. He invited him to the mansion and informed him of this meaning. Finally, he said: "Brother Qiaoye has known this, and this time the emperor's decree came to the province. I will list Brother Qiaoye as the first person in the recommendation list of this prefecture. I hope Brother Jiang will understand it."

Jiang Zhongyuan blinked: "Class students first?"

"Of course!" Wang Zhenji nodded seriously: "Brother Qiaoye is not ranked first. Do you still have to attend my husband's name?"

"What's wrong with this?"

"Hahahahaha!" Wang Zhenji laughed: "Brother Qiao Ye was joking, joking!"

After a few conversations with Wang Zhenji, he understood the content of the imperial decree this time clearly. Jiang Zhongyuan didn't know what he was feeling: Xinning is located in the south of Hunan Province, not far from Guangxi. Of course, he also heard people about the civil war in Guizhou Province and the rumors that Emperor Shengzu Ren asked to dream of the new king - people like him always believed what the saints said: "I don't say that strange powers and gods are chaotic." This kind of ghost and god theory is not very believed in, but it is just that the new king is involved in the new king, and as a minister, one cannot judge it arbitrarily.

Who knew that the development of things would be so unexpected, and no one could believe it. Otherwise, the emperor would have lived in the ninth level and had never left Beijing since childhood, so how could he know that a destructionist named Hong Xiuquan of Guizhou, thousands of miles away? Not to mention the evidence to prove the authenticity of the dream-entering theory. This is something that Jiang Zhongyuan cannot understand and even more unexplainable. He can only say that the world is so big that there are indeed some things that people cannot understand.

In addition to these incomprehensible, from other aspects, does the new king be able to receive the dream of the Saint Ancestor, which is most praised by future generations in the history of the Qing Dynasty, also means that the Qing Dynasty's Xutong is in full swing and its national strength will become stronger?

When he returned home and asked his mother, his brother made an explanation. Jiang Zhongyuan set off for the provincial capital Changsha the next day. On the one hand, it was because of Wang Zhenji's recommendation, and on the other hand, it was also to visit his old friend Zeng Guofan whom he had not seen for many years.

There was nothing to say on the way. I met Zeng Guofan at the ancestral home in Xiangtan. The old lady and the old man whom I met were also sitting in the living room. They were old friends for many years. They told each other about their past experiences and felt sighing: "Brother Disheng was ordered to do the job this time, which was really surprising!"

"What does Brother Qiaoye mean in his words?"

Jiang Zhongyuan smiled: "Of course it's a matter for Guizhou Province!"

Zeng Guofan smiled bitterly: "Not only Brother Qiao Ye, but also Brother Ruzhai is also curious about the rare things in Guizhou. Brother Qiao Ye doesn't believe it, even today, Guofan can't believe that this matter is really a dream-entrusting Emperor Shengzu Ren."

"Of course, we can't forget the contributions of Brother Disheng..."

"Oh, no, Brother Qiaoye misunderstood me. I mean, the dream-taking of Emperor Shengzuren is really too incredible."

"I don't care about this, I don't think so, but I'm thinking hard in my heart, but I can't solve it."

"Yes, it's really an unsolvable thing. Even the emperor, when he explained this, he was afraid that he was worried?"

After the two chatted for a while, Jiang Zhongyuan asked, "Does Brother Disheng have any suggestions on the recommendation?"

"I think you always have to do something with your heart and don't dare to slack off at all, right?" Zeng Guofan couldn't express his feelings directly even when facing his old friend. He didn't intend to make an official voice with him like this, but he didn't have much thoughts about this.

"Of course, as a minister, you must do the emperor's destiny. But, can Brother Disheng have any recommended candidates?"

Zeng Guofan raised his triangle eyes and glanced at Jiang Zhongyuan with a rosy face. A smile appeared on his thin skin: "How about the Zuo Jigao in Huaiyin?"

"Zuo Jigao was naturally expected. If not, someone would think that Brother Disheng is not aware of others!" After saying this, the two looked at each other and laughed!

After lingering in the ancestral home of Xiangtan for a few days, Zeng Guofan and Jiang Zhongyuan stood up and rushed to Xiangyin. They were not far apart, but they did not expect that Hu Linyi had arrived first.

They are all acquaintances, and they have never seen each other for many years and there are endless topics to talk about. However, the only person who sits in the seat is Zuo Zongtang, who has no fame and fortune. The topic naturally cannot revolve around the political situation in the officialdom, so they talk about some customs, arts and literature. Zuo Zongtang hums and snors without any yin and yang, and does not respond to the topic of recommendation for the country mentioned in Zeng Guofan's words, and seems to be unwilling to adapt to the other party's friendship.
Chapter completed!