Accusing Zeng Disheng of being "selfish"?!

Zhao Liewen next to him was taken by surprise and was taken aback

Zeng Guofan was stunned for a moment and said: "Baylor's reproach, Guofan dare not accept it. However, please let me know more about it. ”

Guan Zhuofan said: "Di Weng, you are worried and fearful, hold on to Baotai, and vigorously suppress your children and nephews, including Jie Gang - Di Weng, Jie Gang is as big as the sea just now, and may not be inferior to his father!" If the country loses its talents because of this, do you say, is this considered 'selfish'? ”

Zhao Liewen was surprised again, but he couldn't help but secretly cheer in his heart!

Zeng Guofan looked left and right blankly, and when his eyes fell on Zhao Liewen, there was a look of asking for help on his face. However, Zhao Liewen turned his face slightly away and pretended not to see it.

Zhong was stunned for a moment, and Zeng Guofan said: "I never interfere in the affairs of the dogs......"

When he said this, he also felt against his will, he was a master of science, and he paid attention to sincerity and righteousness, how could he speak big in front of the officials?

Zeng Guofan sighed and changed his words: "I'm a little harsh on him, isn't it for his good?" I won't talk about him for the time being...... Lord Belle, Jie Gang really has no qualifications to be a minister to the UK! You look up to him, it's his creation, but ...... He's too young to fit in! ”

"Di Weng, may I ask Jie Gang's Geng Tooth?"

"Well, it's twenty-seven."

"Well, I'm twenty-six."

Zeng Guofan was stunned for a moment and said, "How can a puppy be compared to Baylor?" ”

"What's not to do? Our twilight in China is too deep, and we are just waiting for young people to come forward to do things in order to vigorously cheer up. There is a saying that 'the blade is new if it is new'! ”

"Diweng. I'll break your fingers for you: Fujian Shipbuilding Sanpin Senator Wu Zhiyong. is responsible for the liaison and running of foreign affairs of Fujian Ship, and is Zhang Xiangtao's most important assistant; Zhang Qiaoye, the general office of the railway unit of the advisory committee, held a project of tens of millions of taels of silver in his hand; There are also Tang Jingxing, the assistant of the Kaiping Mining Bureau, and Xu Yuzhi, the manager of the China Merchants Steamship Bureau, these are all young people in their twenties - Wu is younger than me! By the way, I almost forgot Zhang Xiangtao himself. He's twenty-nine years old! Di Weng, what do you think of my human vision? ”

Zhang Xiangtao, that is, Zhang Zhidong.

Wu Zhiyong, that is, Wu Tingfang.

Zhang Qiaoye, that is, Zhang Yinheng.

Tang Jingxing, that is, Tang Tingshu.

Xu Yuzhi, that is, Xu Run.

Fujian Shipbuilding, Railway Unit, Kaiping Mining Bureau, and China Merchants Steamship Bureau, all of them are prosperous, Zeng Guofan was stunned for a while, and said: "Baylor employs people. Which one can not be convinced? But ......"

"Diweng, I want to ask. Is Jie Gang well-versed in foreign affairs? ”

"Well, it's ......"

"Ask me again, is Jie Gang proficient in English?"

"This ...... Even if he said both foreign affairs and foreign literature in the past, there is a third point: seniority is important! ”

"Di Weng, Jie Gang is presiding over the Canton Dialect Museum with the title of Sanpin Participating in Politics. Zheng Yuxuan, the minister to the United States, and Xu Zisui, the minister to Japan, are both three-rank ranks. ”

Zheng Yuxuan, that is, Zheng Zaoru.

Xu Zisui, that is, Xu Silin.

"This--Baylor just said, this qualification, European countries, more important titles......"

Before he finished speaking, Zeng Guofan thought of what Guan Zhuofan would say next.

Sure enough, Guan Zhuofan smiled and said, "Di Weng, this first-class marquis on your body, won't it be inherited by Jie Gang in the future?" ”

After a slight pause, Zeng Guofan was not allowed to argue, and continued: "As for the background - Zeng Jiegang has your father Zeng Diweng, such a 'background', can't it be put on the table?" Hehe, looking around Asia and Europe, I don't know whose 'background' is more beautiful than Jie Gang's 'background'! ”

Zeng Guofan was silent.

He hesitated for a while, and finally let out a long sigh: "I have nothing to say." I hope that Zeng Ji Ze will be white and naked, live up to the country, and live up to Baylor! ”

*

*

Guan Zhuofan used Zeng Jize as his minister to the UK for four reasons:

First, whether it is considered in history or secretly investigated in reality, Guan Zhuofan believes that Zeng Jize is the most suitable candidate for the minister to the United Kingdom.

Needless to say, it is not easy to find someone more suitable for diplomacy than Zeng Jize in today's China.

It's true that age is not a problem, in Europe, young princes, dukes, and counts, grab a handful.

Although Zeng Jize has not yet inherited the title, his father's reputation can indeed give him enough blessings, and there are very few people who dare to despise Zeng Guofan's son. In this regard, abroad, Zeng Jize may get more respect than at home.

Guan Zhuofan is also not worried about Zeng Jize's loyalty to him. Zeng Jize was originally his person, and his elbow would not turn out.

Second, Tong Guò reused Zeng Jize, Guan Zhuo Fan Naide and Zeng Guofan himself to build a truly strong alliance.

Please note that this alliance is not Guan Zhuofan and the "Hunan family", but Guan Zhuofan and Zeng Guofan's personal. In fact, Guan Zhuofan also had such a wishful thinking: using Zeng Guofan to further divide and weaken the "Hunan system".

Zeng Ji Ze was originally under Guan Zhuofan's hand and presided over the Cantonese Dialect Museum. However, the Cantonese Dialect Museum was only an academic institution, and its importance, at least in the eyes of the bureaucracy of the time, could not be compared with that of the Minister in Britain.

Zeng Jize became the minister to the UK, Zeng Guofan will no longer have any suspicions from the "top" and Guan Zhuofan, and suppress his suspicions, and next, a series of changes related to the "Hunan system" will be understood and even supported by Zeng Guofan, at least, as invisible. Resistance is greatly reduced, and the result is twice as much with half the effort.

As for the "Guan-style New Westernization", which has nothing to do with the changes in the "Hunan system", I believe that Zeng Guofan will go all out and live up to Guan Zhuofan's expectations.

That is to say, the position of minister to Britain is a beautiful bargaining chip enough to "buy" Zeng Guofan.

Third, if you reuse Zeng Jize, you don't have to deal with Zeng Laojiu.

As mentioned above, when the twist was suppressed, Liu Ming of the Huai Army took revenge and robbed the Hunan army of Bao Chao's credit, and Zeng Guoquan, who was the governor of Hubei at the time, dealt with the obedient. caused Bao Chao to become angry and sick. Bao's Thunder Army is almost on the verge of merging with Liu's Ming Army. It almost caused a catastrophe. Afterwards, Zeng Guoquan took the blame and resigned, disarmed and returned to the field, and has been idle until now.

On his forty-first birthday, the elder brother wrote thirteen poems in one breath, or praised the elder brother's exploits. or complain about the suspicion of the world - these are the three poems he read to Zhao Jingxian.

In the final analysis, Zeng Guofan still hopes that his brother can make a comeback, and regards this as a sign of whether the court really trusts him Disheng.

Someone once built a yì to Guan Zhuofan and allowed Zeng Guoquan to recover, so as to entrap Zeng Guofan.

Guan Zhuofan categorically rejected this plan. Zeng Lao Jiu has made enough money, and he has made enough sins, what about his ability, it is just so big, and in the second half of his life, he will be his rich man in his hometown in Xiangxiang honestly.

Accept Zeng Disheng. I have another plan.

Fourth, Zeng Jize served as minister to the United Kingdom. It can play an "alternative" role in re-dà.

What to declare? Please read on.

*

*

As soon as Zeng Jize's edict to the British minister was issued, everyone unanimously lamented: There are really not enough glasses to fall.

A joke spread in the officialdom: Liu Zimo transferred Yungui to Yungui, and added "Qincha supervised military affairs", which was called "different peaks"; Zeng Disheng was transferred to the governor of Zhili, and he was happily edicted, which can be described as "a mountain and a mountain high"; Zeng Jie has just served as the minister to the UK, that is, "Yang Zhi Migao", or "Yun Shen does not know where".

Qualifications, qualifications, or qualifications.

This qualification is not about the age, grade, and title that Guan Zhuofan and Zeng Guofan discussed hotly, but a fact that Guan and Zeng both know well, but no one will declare it - Zeng Jize has never been Chinese, not even a person.

Zeng Jize is a "shadow student". This "sheng" refers to the "prison student", and this "prison" refers to the "national prison", that is, the so-called "entering the country to study". There is a word "shade" in front of it, which means "grace shade", which shows that the qualifications of this "prison student" come from the shadow of your father, and you are not admitted by yourself by your own ability.

The status of a prisoner is similar to that of a lifter, and he is also qualified to take the examination, but he has never been regarded as the "right path", let alone a "shadow student"?

What's more, Zeng Jiegang failed in the three exams?

In fact, Zeng Jize didn't even pass the township test, that is, from beginning to end, he was a "show talent". It is precisely because of the scientific field that Zeng Jize gave up his career and turned to Western studies, and finally, the east is not bright and the west is bright, and the first time he officially embarked on his official career, he had to pay the "important weapon of the country" to the British minister.

Alas, I really don't know how many people have been blinded...... What kind of eyes are that?

Zeng Jize tried many times, and when he told his father that he would not play, Zeng Guofan was quite open, and wrote to his eldest son: "You have no ambition to be famous and famous, but you can read more ancient books, chant poems and write words from time to time, and write temperament with pottery, and you will be inexhaustible in your life." ”

Everyone secretly said that Zeng Disheng had no choice but to pretend to be generous, in fact, I don't know how much I want my son to come out of a jinshi!

The eyes of the masses are bright, and this matter is no exception. Sure enough, Zeng Guofan put his hope on the second Zeng Jihong. However, Zeng Jihong's scientific movement is no better than that of his brother, bearing the double pressure of his father and brother, burying his head in books, and his life is really not easy.

Zeng Jihong will appear in this book in the future, and he will not press the table at this time.

The conversation returned to the reaction of the government and the opposition to Zeng Jize's new appointment.

It is not surprising that he was not born on the "right path" and climbed to a considerable position. For example, Xu Silin, the minister stationed in Japan, is simply a businessman, not even a showman. However, one, Xu Zisui has military merits; Second, in terms of the difference between good and bad, how can the minister in Japan compare with the minister in the UK?

Before, Guan Zhuofan's big use of a group of people, such as Wu Tingfang, Zhang Yinheng, Tang Tingshu, Xu Run, etc., is best just a talent foundation, and some have not been in school at all, and their fame is donated by donating to the class. Although most of these people had never fought in a war, they had seen blood, and they were suddenly of great use, although they were also sensational, but in the eyes of traditional scholars, their positions were either "battalion service" or "chasing copper stench", and the substantial stimulation caused to the "scholars" was limited after a period of noisy activity.

But the "Minister to the UK" is different, this is a real "national famous instrument"! Actually delivered a "talent base" with no size? This is a big thrill!

What about Zeng Disheng's son? You have to climb up step by step!

Many people can't help but have such an idea: Now that foreign affairs are booming, is it that from now on, the high position of the lord will no longer have to be sought in the cold window for ten years, birth and death?

There are a few people with a sharper sense of smell, and their brains are even bigger: it's okay not to read, but if you read too many books, people will become stupid, and the "above" may hate you even more!

This is the "declarative role" that Guan Zhuofan wants.

Sooner or later, the imperial examination will have to be carried out. This is not a one-step effort, you have to boil the frog in warm water and rub it forward little by little. At this stage, on the table, Guan Zhuofan absolutely refuses to say bad things about the imperial examination, but he has to start making small moves underneath. It is necessary to slowly lay the mark of "uselessness of the imperial examination" in people's minds, so as to take advantage of the trend and divert people's energy and interest from the imperial examination step by step, so as to reduce resistance for future changes as much as possible.

Unlike the Chinese, the British were very satisfied with Zeng Jize as the Qing state's minister to Britain.

Zeng Jize presided over the Cantonese Dialect Museum, and there were many opportunities to deal with foreigners, and Guan Zhuofan consciously arranged for him to socialize with the British minister and the British consul in Shanghai. As a result, the British Legation described Zeng Jize in its report to China as follows:

"Mr. Zeng is fluent in English, erudite and one of China's most reform-minded and internationally minded."

"He was born into the most influential family of eunuchs in China, and he is the first heir to the family title."

"He has a very deep personal relationship with the prime minister."

"Before he became minister to the UK, he was the president of the only university in China."

With such a resume, how can the British not be satisfied?

On the third day after the Ming Dynasty, a telegram from the British Foreign Secretary was sent to Zeng Jize to express his warm welcome to Zeng Jize on his new appointment to Britain.

Guan Zhuofan turned on the telegram and looked at it, with a light in his eyes.

What he cares about is not the kind words that the British said to Zeng Jize, but-

He closed the telegram and whispered, "Welcome home." ”

*

(3,800 words in a large chapter)

*(To be continued......)