After getting Hong Fuyu and Li Xiucheng, Zeng Guoquan said so truthfully, as for the gift-giving, there are many people on the boat, so it is naturally difficult to talk about it at this time.

Zeng Guofan listened to Zeng Guoquan's words, but he didn't express any joy, thought for a long time, and shook his head.

Sending people away is of course a great gesture of goodwill, but what does it mean that it was sent three days after the city was broken?

In the past three days, Lao Jiu has already robbed everything that should be robbed in Jiangning City, and his own good news excerpt has also been sent from Anqing.

"Or the young lord of the cloud puppet died in the fire of the Heavenly Palace."

"Or Yun Li Xiucheng died in the chaos."

"In Jiangning City, there is no wealth and goods, or the rumors are mostly nonsense."

Thinking of these "or clouds" in his folds, he has practiced the kung fu of nourishing qi to the extreme, and Zeng Guofan, who has always been "unmoved", can't help but feel a chill in his heart.

"Have these criminals been tried?"

"I haven't tried it, I've already inquired about it one by one." Zeng Guoquan smiled proudly, "Ding Shijie said that their commander confessed that this was to be handed over to the people of the Jizi battalion, so Xuan Jun did not dare to interrogate." ”

"Hmm......" Zeng Guofan narrowed his eyes and began to stroke his beard again.

"Big brother, what?" The demeanor of the eldest brother is too familiar to Zeng Guoquan, and he must have encountered some difficult problem.

"Let's not talk about that, let's go into the city and have a look."

When I entered Jiangning City, the tragic situation left by the bitter battle and death pillow was vivid. The thousand-year-old city has become cold and quiet at the moment, and the corpses on the street have not yet been cleaned up. There are no pedestrians to be seen. There are only soldiers of the Hunan army.

"There are no fifty years of work. Jiangning City is struggling to recover. ”

After inspecting Hong Xiuquan's corpse, and then seeing the ruins of the Heavenly King's Palace, which were blackened by the fire, Zeng Guofan couldn't help but sigh.

"Big brother, it's really burning hard, right?" Zeng Guoquan said proudly, "No wonder the treasures accumulated by the long hair have been burned to the core." ”

"Real gold is not afraid of fire practice," Zeng Guofan said lightly. "How can gold and silver be burned?"

Zeng Guoquan was speechless for a while, and accompanied Zeng Guofan out of the city in a curtled manner. When he returned to the camp outside the city, he became excited again and asked, "Big brother, is this going to interrogate the criminals?" ”

"You said Li Xiucheng?"

"Yes!" If you want to be arraigned, it is naturally Li Xiucheng, "I have made a cage to lock him inside." If the eldest brother interrogates him, I will order someone to carry him over. ”

"Slow down," Zeng said, leaning back on a bamboo chair. His eyes were slightly closed, and he shook his head. "Don't rush yet."

"Then the eldest brother is going to write an excerpt for the war exploits first?" Zeng Guoquan asked excitedly, "I'll go and find Zhao Huifu and ask him to serve the eldest brother." ”

"There's no rush for this." Zeng Guofan said slowly, "Lao Jiu, I have something to tell you, you sit down first." ”

"Oh." Zeng Guoquan sat down with some doubts.

"Do you remember that when you were eighteen years old, I sent you back to Lotus Leaf Pond from Beijing, and when you broke up at Lugou Bridge, I once wrote a poem to you?"

"Of course I do." Zeng Guoquan couldn't help but be stunned when he saw his eldest brother suddenly talk about this. He went to the capital at the age of sixteen, lived in his eldest brother's house, studied with his eldest brother for two years, and then returned to his hometown to take the exam. And the poem that his eldest brother gave him is something he is proud of all his life, and he will naturally not forget it.

"Chen Junping is noon Junqi, and Lao Yuan is really white-eyed." Zeng Guofan himself slowly chanted this poem, opened his eyes and looked at Zeng Guoquan, with a little excitement in his expression, "Lao Jiu, I am not mistaken, you are really the white eyebrows of our Zeng family!" ”

Zeng Guofan's poem back then was evaluated by the three younger brothers - Zeng Guohuang was flat and stable, Zeng Guohua was witty and dexterous, and the ninth brother Zeng Guoquan will be outstanding and glorious lintel. Now it seems that it really works like a god.

This is extremely high praise, Zeng Guoquan's face turned red, and he said excitedly: "Big brother! It's all up to you to teach! ”

"In the rear, when it comes to destroying the city and breaking the enemy, it is still up to you." Zeng Guofan smiled, "But what you said is not wrong, there are some things that you have seen less, so although I have made immortal achievements this time, I still have to say what should be said." ”

"Yes, please give me advice!"

"You came out of the lotus leaf pond, recruited brave soldiers, and have been fighting with me, and you have experienced a lot on the battlefield. But do you know that in the sea, it is much more dangerous than in the battlefield. ”

Zeng Guoquan listened quietly, knowing that the eldest brother must have meant something.

"The Jizi camp has completely moved Jiangning City, I really didn't expect you to be so bold."

"Big brother, I can't help it! The battalion has been in arrears for four months, and the compensation for the casualties in the past six months has not yet been settled. Zeng Guoquan folded his fingers and counted it to Zeng Guofan, "Since the household department doesn't give money, we have to rely on ourselves to figure out a way." ”

"Are you stupid when everyone else? Now there is no one to say that the Hunan soldiers have made a fortune, and they all use the silver they have stolen to transport to Hunan by ship to buy land and land. Let's just say that our lotus leaf pond is good, I heard that the land price around has gone to thirty-three taels of silver per mu, which is twice as high as in previous years! Is this a matter of months of military pay? Once you take it out when you face the scene above the court, this is the thing! ”

"Those elders in the court, sitting and talking, of course they are very comfortable, do they have the ability to let them come and see?" Zeng Guoquan sneered, "Big brother, I'll give them a denial of death, there is no evidence, who can say anything!" ”

"The minister's accusation of guilt is not all evidence." Zeng Guofan shook his head, "Besides, your Jizi camp is full, what about the friendly troops next to you?" Guan Zhuofan's Xuan army is raised by Guan Li in Jiangsu, and he is not short of money, which is easy to say. Bao Chao and Zhang Yunlan's soldiers are their own people, and I always have a word to explain to them. Jiangning's aftermath also needs a huge sum, where does it come from? ”

"Big brother, for more than a year, the Jizi camp has been squatting in Jiangning, and there is no entry at all, don't you expect to moisten it after the city is broken? As for Bao Chunting and them, don't worry, big brother has already grabbed enough everywhere, you don't have to worry about them at all! Zeng Guoquan said. There is a good reason for that. "Big brother. I'll tell you the truth, I only have a small half of the goods that came out of Jiangning, and most of them have already gone into the purses of my brothers, and if I force them to hand them over, something big will happen. ”

This is the truth, Zeng Guofan was shocked when he heard it - he wanted the soldiers below to spit out what he had eaten, if it provoked the camp roar. That's even more troublesome.

"Then, somewhat, you still have to take some, and give a place for mercy."

"Big brother, this should be paid by the Ministry of Households! If you want us to take the auspicious word, I can't figure it out. ”

Zeng Guofan saw that this stubborn old nine was still like this, shook his head, and said another thing first.

"Guan Zhuofan gave you Li Xiucheng and Hong Fuyu, what do you think?"

"Thank you," Zeng Guoquan said with a smile, "since you sent it." This is naturally a credit to both sides. The eldest brother is in the excerpt, just say two more good words for him. ”

"Say two more nice words!" Zeng Guofan laughed helplessly. "You're speaking lightly. Lao Jiu, have you ever thought that since this matter is considered to be a credit to both sides, is it also a credit to both sides to break Jiangning? ”

"This ...... How can it be counted? Zeng Guoquan blushed.

"Why can't it be counted?" Zeng Guofan snorted, "Do you think it's the hairy-footed son-in-law who went to his mother-in-law's house, wiped his mouth after eating, and then had nothing to do?" ”

Zeng Guoquan was speechless.

"He didn't give it to you for nothing! But this love, we got it, after all, he made up for a huge loophole for you! According to your original statement, Hong Fuyu was burned to death, and Li Xiucheng died in the chaotic army, if the imperial court pursues this matter, what a big trouble! ”

Zeng Guoquan, who had been carried away by the victory of conquering Jiangning, only now came to his senses and couldn't help breaking out in a cold sweat.

"Guan Zhuofan is a talented person, but his scheming is also very deep." Zeng Guofan said very solemnly, "If you deal with him again in the future, you have to be careful, and you might as well let him a little." ”

"I don't see it...... Zeng Guoquan thought for a moment, and said hesitantly, "When I went to his camp to thank him, he was very humble. ”

"Oh...... What did he say? ”

"He was polite to me, saying that fortunately, Xuan Jun was lucky enough to catch these people, otherwise it would be troublesome if it fell into the hands of Zuo Zongtang and Shen Baozhen."

"Did you ever think that he was reminding you?" Zeng Guofan asked, "Speaking of which, if it really falls into their hands, it will be really a big trouble-how is it not a big fuss to catch this horse foot of the Hunan army, Ji Gao and Youdan?" ”

"I didn't treat him badly!" Zeng Guoquan argued and said, "I picked up four carts of things from the camp and gave them to him, which is worth a million silver." ”

"What?" Zeng Guofan was taken aback, "Did he accept it?" ”

"In the end, it was returned, leaving only the gift list, saying that I received it." After Zeng Guoquan finished speaking, he added, "This is what he doesn't want, but don't blame me." ”

"Hmm......" Zeng Guofan stopped talking, pondered for a long time, and said dejectedly: "Lao Jiu, you have done a foolish thing. ”

Zeng Guoquan looked at his eldest brother in confusion, not knowing what he was wrong with.

"In Jiangning City, there is no property, this is the original words on my excerpt! Since there is no wealth, where did you get the things you gave him? Zeng Guofan patted his brother's arm lightly, thinking to himself that this old nine is subject to people everywhere and doesn't know it, "He didn't take your things, he can be regarded as a clear of himself, but that gift list is ironclad evidence." ”

"This ......" Zeng Guoquan opened his mouth to stammer, and after a while, Huo Di stood up, "Big brother, you mean he wants to deal with me?" ”

"Lao Jiu, you sit, sit."

Zeng Guofan was relieved and persuaded him to sit down, and he thought for a while with blazing eyes before continuing.

"You can't keep this million silver, give it to me to use for the aftermath first. In the future, if this matter is pulled out, it can be regarded as a reserved point. ”

"Yes." Zeng Guoquan's heart was still uncertain.

"Just based on a gift list, it can't be said that people must be intentional. What's more, he is an extremely smart person and will not embarrass you for no reason. Zeng Guofan sighed lightly and shook his head, "It's just that I'm afraid that Li Shaoquan will hate you in the future." ”

"What's the matter with Li Hongzhang?" Zeng Guoquan was stunned.

"I can't help but give Guan Zhuofan a favor," Zeng Guofan said lightly, "Shaoquan's Su Fu, I'm afraid I can't keep it." ”

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