Out of Jiangsu, it is Shandong. It was Daniel Zhang who "led the governor of Shandong". Nominally, the admiral is subject to the governor's control, but no one knows who is above the governor of Ludao Zhang. No matter how rusty the governor of Shandong is, he will not be amused to think that it is himself. Therefore, Shandong's military affairs have been "liberated" from the governor of Shandong.

Guan Zhuofan's plan was to set up a telegram in Shandong in the name of "military affairs," and those who opposed it were all labeled as "obstructing military affairs and having ill intentions."

Out of Shandong, Cangzhou and Tianjin, where the main garrison of the Xuan Army, were more convenient, and it was more convenient to set up telegrams all the way through under the guise of "military affairs".

Out of Tianjin, it's Beijing.

In this way, the telegraph from Shanghai to Beijing was opened.

Shanghai goes south, is Zhejiang. After the New Year, Ma Xinyi will have to be transferred to Shaanxi to be the governor and give a hand to Zuo Zongtang, the new governor of Shaanxi and Gansu, and the territory of Zhejiang will fall into the hands of Guan Zhuofan. Therefore, it is not a problem for the Shanghai Telegraph Administration to go south to Zhejiang.

Out of Zhejiang, it is Fujian. Zuo Zongtang, the current governor of Fujian and Zhejiang, had to help Guan Zhuofan get Fujian out before handing over the envoy. Guan Zhuofan has already written a letter to Zuo Zongtang, saying that the telegram will be beneficial. Zuo Zongtang agreed, and in the name of "military affairs", he went to the imperial court and opened a telegram in Fujian.

Out of Fujian, it is Guangdong. The coastal provinces, from north to south, have opened telegraphs, and Guangdong cannot be the last "dead-end road". Guangdong's south is overseas, and the atmosphere and ideology are also the most open, so there should not be much resistance.

What's more, the current Guangdong is barely within the range of Zuo Zongtang's potential; The "left mule" went north, this territory. Guan Zhuofan is going to take it.

This is the "deal" that Guan Zhuofan originally planned to make with Zuo Zongtang.

The most rear. Canton set up a telegraph line to Hong Kong.

Thereupon. From Beijing to Guangdong, China's coastal wealth is connected, and China and the world are also connected.

In addition, the Shanghai Telegraph Administration was the total, and Guan Zhuofan controlled the communication lines, and then realized or strengthened the control of the areas through which the communication lines flowed.

This major event was held in the fourth year of Tongzhi, that is, in the first half of 1865. It will hopefully be all done.

So, how did Guangdong fall into the hands of Zuo Zongtang?

This matter has a lot to do with Guan Zhuofan in the future, so let's insert a paragraph about how Zuo Zongtang "heroes and bullies".

Zuo Zongtang supervised the division into Fujian and suppressed Wang Haiyang and Li Shixian, and the method used was not "encirclement and suppression", not "encirclement and suppression", but "suppression" - oppression of Wang and Li from the north, west, and east, and forced them to flee south.

Where's the south side?

Guangdong.

Zuo Zongtang's hand was extremely damaged.

Zuo Zongtang's purpose is not to exterminate the bandits as soon as possible - in the eyes of the "left mule", Wang Haiyang and Li Shixian's wandering spirits are a meal on the plate sooner or later. There is no rush to compete for the moment. His real intention is to "drive the Kou into Guangdong". Then, his title of "Minister of Supervision of Zhejiang-Fujian Military Affairs" can be replaced with "Minister of Supervision of Zhejiang, Fujian and Guangdong Military Affairs".

Then, his hand can be legitimately extended into Guangdong.

stepped into the boundaries of Guangdong in order to drive away Guo Songtao, the governor of Guangdong, and then called his cronies, Jiang Yifeng of Zhejiang Domain, to replace him.

Why Zuo Zongtang's heart knot for Guo Songtao is so difficult to explain, no one can say. I'm afraid that Zuo and Guo, the "sons and daughters" themselves, may not be able to explain 100% clearly.

To seize Guo Songtao's position in Yuefu, one is to repair grievances, and the other is to open up sources of income and prepare for the future "Western Expedition".

The last and most important: Yuefu's position can become an important "trading chip".

Everything was in Zuo Zongtang's calculations, Wang Haiyang and Li Shixian were really forced into Guangdong, and his title of "Minister of Military Affairs of Zhejiang and Fujian" was indeed replaced by "Minister of Military Affairs of Zhejiang, Fujian and Guangdong".

Then Zuo Zongtang began to make all kinds of accusations against Guangdong.

Zuo Zongtang spoke out sharply in the compromise of "Chen Ming's Guangdong Military Affairs":

"The facts of a provincial soldier in Guangdong are not enough, and the salary cannot be asked. The military has been prosperous for a long time, and the military affairs in various provinces may turn from weak to strong, and Guangdong has been fierce in the past and is now strong! The provinces may be rich and prosperous by feeding, and Guangdong is doing its best in the past! ”

It is a fact to say that Guangdong "does not have enough soldiers." However, since the Hongyang Rebellion, Guangdong has suffered very few disasters, and those who can fight a little have been transferred out of the province to fight with the bandits, how can Guangdong maintain its own strong military strength? For any other province, in the situation of Guangdong, it is roughly the same.

To say that Guangdong's salary is "spared in the past and exhausted now" is that Zuo Zongtang opened his eyes and said nonsense. Guangdong's "salary should not be asked", in fact, it was his "left mule" who could not ask, and Zeng Guofan, who was a man, moved a lot of money from the Guangdong Domain's treasury.

It's always Zuo Zongtang and Guo Songtao who don't deal with each other in life or death.

These few words are not attacking a certain person, but a province of Guangdong, and naturally the two most responsible, one is Ruilin, the governor of Guangzhou, and the other is Guo Songtao, the governor of Guangdong.

This was done by Zuo Zongtang on purpose. His calculation is to scare and scare the court: If Guo Songtao's affairs are not as good as I want, I will attack Ruilin. How many handles Ruilin has, hehe, I know; What I don't know is, are you reluctant to give up Ruilin?

At the same time as attacking Guo, protect Jiang.

Zuo Zongtang said in the recital: "The salary of the soldiers is also raised, and the responsibility is heavy, and if it is not a talent who is open-minded, he is not competent." Jiang Yifeng, the political envoy of Zhejiang, has unparalleled talent and knows the number of senior ministers, etc., if he is favored by heaven, he is ordered to go to Guangdong to supervise military affairs and raise military salaries, and he will definitely help in the current situation in eastern Guangdong. ”

That's what I said!

Who doesn't know that Zuo Zongtang's eyes are higher than the top, and he has always pretended to be Zhuge Kongming? actually called Jiang Yifeng "unparalleled talent, knowing the number of high-ranking ministers", the weight of this sentence is really beyond can't be overstated.

The imperial court had no choice but to issue an order: "Jiang Yifeng, the political envoy of Zhejiang, will go to Guangdong to handle military affairs and raise food and salary." ”

Although he "granted the invitation" on the surface, he pretended not to understand Zuo Zongtang's true purpose. Because Jiang Yifeng, regardless of his qualifications or ability, is really difficult to be the governor of a super province like Guangdong.

The "Left Mule" finally went berserk.

Zuo Zongtang seized the matter of Gao Liansheng, the general of the Chu army, to be appointed as the governor of Guangdong, and attacked the governor of Guangdong.

Just as Guan Zhuofan defeated the bandits and arrested the "admirals" in Shandong and Anhui, after Zuo Zongtang defeated Wang Haiyang and Li Shixian, he also arrested the "admirals" in Guangdong.

Generally speaking, when the admiral arrives, he only needs to bring his own personal soldiers, but Zuo Zongtang said that "the chaos is peaceful, the people's hearts are undecided, Guangdong Province has planted and surrendered soldiers, searched for bandits, and there are many things to deal with the aftermath.

Guangdong is very busy, and after the war is over, Guangdong has "permanently" added 5,000 guest troops, which is a great pressure both financially and psychologically.

So Ruilin sent a message to Zuo Zongtang, saying that Gao Liansheng and us are welcome, as for the high department, don't come.

I've got a sore foot!

Zuo Zongtang immediately wrote a book, and his words were fierce:

"The minister asks himself, so for the sake of Guangdong, it is not for nothing, and Guangdong is difficult!"

"The troubles of the Fusi Haijiang originated in Guangdong, and the troubles of the thieves in the Central Plains also started in Guangdong. If you still take mediocrity and darkness as leniency, take blame as a capable thing, be clear in small plans, and secretly in big plans, I am afraid that it will not be enough to worry about the south of the court. ”

What "to be mediocre and dark as lenient, and to be able to unload" is basically equivalent to pointing at Ruilin's nose and scolding, and it is almost famous.

Zuo Zongtang's meaning is very clear: If you pretend to be stupid again, I will beat Ruilin.

The imperial court really can't pretend to be deaf and dumb anymore.

Zuo Zongtang "supervised the military affairs of Zhejiang, Fujian and Guangdong", although it was not as good as Guan Zhuofan's "supervision of the military affairs of the five provinces" when the Ming Zhao directly sent the governors of the five provinces as subordinates, but after all, he was also a minister of the Qin Mission, if Zuo Zongtang really had a temper attack and named Ruilin as a strict counselor, the imperial court should respect his opinions to a certain extent anyway, and it is not okay not to punish Ruilin.

But Ruilin can't move. One is his relationship with the Queen Mother; One is that he is almost the only surviving bannerman among the governors; One is that the Guangdong Customs has always been an important source of revenue for the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and there is an obedient "own person" in the position of the governor of Liangguang, and many things are relatively easy to do.

So Zuo Zongtang's wish was finally fulfilled, and the cabinet issued an edict, "with Guo Songtao to come to Beijing, with Jiang Yifeng as the governor of Guangdong."

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