Zeng Guofan, who ordered the governor of Liangjiang, was ordered to control the military affairs of the four provinces, and set half of the country for the imperial court, finally came.

He was the "car" that Zeng Guoquan moved to come to see his "soldier".

Guan Zhuofan suppressed his nervousness, smiled and said to Forrestal, "I lost", stretched out his hand to mess up the chess game, got up and entered the back tent, served by Tulin, put on the whole set of second-grade official clothes meticulously, took the notebook, put on the big hat with a dazzling eye, and took a deep breath.

"Let's go!"

Hundreds of personal soldiers got on the horse together to guard Guan Dashuai from Suoshu Town, where he was stationed in the festival, to the Yuhuatai camp of the Hunan army.

When I arrived outside the camp, I saw that the gate of the camp had been opened, and it was not the Hunan army generals of the Jizi camp who greeted me at the door, but two scribes in long robes.

"Xuan Shuai is hard!" Among the two, the white-faced bearded one was relatively young, but he spoke first to salute, "I am Zeng Jize, and I am waiting for Xuan Shuai here on my father's order." This one is Zhao Liewen, Mr. Zhao Huifu, who is the guest secretary in my father's scene. ”

Both of them are famous figures, but they unexpectedly met here, especially Zeng Jize, who studied both China and the West, and was one of the founders of China's diplomacy in the future, especially Guan Zhuofan. However, compared to Zeng Guofan, who is about to meet, the positions of these two people will inevitably swing backwards.

"It turned out to be Brother Jiegang, Mr. Huifu." Guan Zhuofan had a spring breeze on his face, and clasped his fists, "I don't dare to be the distant welcome of the two, it's really hard work." ”

After a few words of greetings, accompanied by Zeng Jize and Zhao Liewen, they went straight to the middle camp. Zeng Guofan was not in his ninth brother's tent, but would be temporarily camped. It was set up in a smaller tent on the west side. Outside the tent, there was no such thing as the governor's majesty. There were only seven or eight pro-soldiers standing on duty with knives, and when they saw a second-class member like Guan Zhuofan, they were also expressionless.

Guan Zhuofan thought to himself, this is not necessarily because they have seen too many second-grade masters, maybe they themselves have the fame of first-grade and second-grade products.

When Zeng Jize reported in, he heard a dull voice inside say, "Please let him in." ”

This official sentence has a Xiangxiang accent, and there is no doubt that it is Zeng Guofan. However, Zeng Guofan has been an official in Beijing for more than ten years. Guan Zhuofan could hear his words clearly, and when Zeng Jize came out of the tent, he walked in quickly, and saw an old man in a gray cloth robe, standing to greet him.

"The first-class light car captain, the political envoy of Jiangsu, and the general belt of the Xuan army, Guan Zhuofan, see the commander!"

Guan Zhuofan reported his name, and without waiting for Zeng Guofan to stop him, he conveniently asked for an an, got up and took out his handbook and presented it.

Hand over the notebook to you. Of course, it is the etiquette of the lower officials when they meet the upper officials for the first time, but it also depends on the status of each other. Relatives are distant and close. In the case of Guan Zhuofan, he was born under the Yellow Banner, a second-class member, with a knighthood and a pair of dazzling eyes, so he didn't need to do this, so he could be regarded as a special respect for Zeng Guofan.

Zeng Guofan stood to greet him, also to show courtesy, seeing him like this, he was slightly stunned, waved his hand and said, "I don't dare to accept this." Seki-fantai, please sit down and speak. With that, he let go of his hand and sat down first.

"Yes, Commander, please call me Yixuan." Guan Zhuofan sat down with him across a case, so he had kung fu, and he could take a good look at this famous figure who has been famous for more than a hundred years.

Zeng Guofan.

Zeng Guofan's appearance is similar to the portrait handed down, with triangular eyes and upside-down eyebrows, he really doesn't look like a great Confucian of science, and he doesn't have the temperament of a famous minister. If you change into a short shirt and a sweatshirt, it is not necessarily different from an old farmer in the countryside of Hunan. Later generations of Xiangjia even thought that his face was the so-called "torture and killing", which meant that he was originally going to be tied to the court to cut off his head, but who knew that he would be a supreme minister and extremely honored! Therefore, it is often regarded as an excellent example of "cultivating the mind can make up for the appearance", and is used to teach people to do good.

For Guan Zhuofan, it seems that he has opened the ancient books of "The Complete Works of Zeng Wenzhenggong", "The Diary of Being Able to Live Quietly", and "Baitang Collection", and then watched the living Zeng Guofan walk out of the scroll and sit in front of him now.

He was still thinking about it like this, and Zeng Guofan had already spoken.

"Yixuan, you and Shaoquan are playing very well in Jiangsu." Zeng Guofan's tone was calm and calm, and there was no joy, anger or sorrow on his deep face, "At the beginning in Shanghai, it was also thanks to your Xuan Army that kept this southeast place for the imperial court. ”

"Zhuo Fan didn't dare to be a compliment to be a commander." Guan Zhuofan thought to himself, Zeng Guofan is worthy of the great Confucian of science, and he really refuses to deceive, there is one to say one, and two to say two. He was annoying himself, for sure, but he didn't take credit for it.

And Zeng Guofan is also thinking about this Guan Zhuofan.

Zeng Guofan has always been cautious in matters involving the banner people, which can be seen from his attitude towards official documents and Taqib. Although he started his family, he relied on his soldiers, but with the help of the banner people and the trust of the imperial court, it was also a key, among which the two in power were particularly important.

One is Su Shun, who has been killed, because the Eight Banners and the Green Camp are unusable, he overrode public opinion, respects the Han soldiers, and gives Zeng Guofan great support, and is a person that Zeng Guofan has always been grateful to.

The other is King Gong. After the coup d'état of Xinyou, there were quite a few people in the court who thought that Zeng Guofan was a party of Sushun, but fortunately, King Gong was not confused, although he overthrew Sushun, but in the war of Pinghongyang, he still followed Sushun's proposition, reused the Hunan army, and transferred troops to raise salaries for Zeng Guofan, which is why there is such a situation now.

And Zeng Guofan can be regarded as living up to the trust, and founded the Hunan Army as a registered squire. The literati led the troops, and after ten years of hardship, they became a pillar of the imperial court.

And his personal cultivation and moral character have also been praised by many people. When he was young, he was actually impatient, but later he practiced Huang Lao's learning, and gradually reversed his temperament. Up to now, the kung fu of cultivating qi has been extremely deep, and the word "forbearance" has been practiced perfectly, not only guarding against caution and fear, but also being in a high position, and being honest and honest for a while.

However, Zeng Guofan is certainly cautious and upright, but he also carries a big burden, which Guan Zhuofan knows very well.

This burden is his ninth brother, Zeng Guoquan.

It is very strange that Zeng Guofan, the famous commander of the Hunan army, was a person who was clumsy in commanding in front of the battle - in his life, all the battles that he personally arranged in front of the enemy ended in failure. His strengths lie in selecting people, training troops, raising salaries, formulating strategies, and grasping the overall situation. In other words, a handsome talent, not a general. He needs someone to stand in front for him, charge into battle, and conquer the city, this person is also Zeng Guoquan.

Zeng Guoquan's temperament is just the opposite of his brother, like a fierce fighting dog, brave and ruthless, persevering, and he will not hesitate to do what he recognizes, and he will not give up until he achieves his goal. His Jizi battalion is the number one main force of the Hunan army, first breaking Anqing, and then besieging Jiangning, making great contributions to his eldest brother, and he was injured five times and was scarred. The Hunan army can have today, and Zeng Guoquan is really inseparable.

Therefore, Zeng Guofan also took good care of him, the ninth brother, and must find a way to fulfill his ambition to break "Tianjing". Troops other than the Hunan system, of course, don't want to get involved in Jiangning, even the "Thunder Army" led by Bao Chao, such an old Hunan army's descendant troops, because they do not belong to Zeng Guoquan's Jizi battalion, they cannot have any hope of entering the city.

Now that Guan Zhuofan is here, and he is still a flag man, Zeng Guofan received Zeng Guoquan's report, and immediately decided that he had to run this trip in person in order to calm the situation - it is one thing to be cautious and cautious, and it is another thing to scheming! He has been an official in Beijing for more than ten years, and he has commanded the army abroad for more than ten years.

"Yixuan, you are going west this time, and you are like a bamboo." Zeng Guofan habitually squinted his eyes, slowly stroked his long beard, and said expressionlessly, "Your Xuan army is a banner battalion, I heard that the combat power is strong, and any long hair cannot be used as its sharpness. Now that you have arrived in Jiangning, the siege is naturally dominated by you, I don't know how you want to fight, I will inform Yuanfu when I turn around, and ask him to let him go, and make a plan for you. ”

came and went, Guan Zhuofan sighed slightly in his heart: Zeng Guofan's life's name, only because of him, the ninth brother, finally left a defect. However, as far as he is concerned, no matter how much he respects Zeng Guofan, now is not the time to feel sorry for him, and he has to use this burden on his body this time.

I thought so, and said it, but I was still respectful.

"Commander Mingjian, Zhuo Fan was strictly urged by the imperial court twice, and he had to make this move." Guan Zhuofan's delay in Changzhou was to wait for such an excuse, "But Zhuofan rushed to Jiangning to listen to the governor's moderation." As for the siege of the city, the nine marshals have a hundred battles, and the Jizi camp is a strong army in the world, which is not comparable to the Xuan army. A big city like Jiangning can only be taken by the nine marshals, and as for the Xuan army, it is nothing more than a defense periphery, picking up the missing and filling the gaps, and never daring to think of entering the city. ”

*

(By 6 a.m., I've finished two chapters.) Xiexie Emmy Amy and Whitecollar are the two hall masters, and Xiexie's new helmsman Rainbow. ）

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