Jingshi, the Forbidden City, the Palace of Nourishing the Heart.

At four o'clock in the morning, before dawn, a team of eunuchs and palace maids were busy with lanterns, and Emperor Daoguang, who had always strictly followed the ancestral teachings, also got up at this hour, and after washing and eating, as usual, it should be the audience of the Minister of Xuanjun and the Minister of Military Aircraft to listen to the important things of the day, but Daoguang was unusually today, and directly ordered: "Xuanlin will see you in Xu." ”

Outside the Qianqing Gate, Jiuqing Chaofang, the officials of the various ministries, and the local governors and ministers who entered Beijing were all waiting for the emperor to summon them, and the eunuchs who listened to the summons, Lin Zexu came out of the crowd in the envious eyes of the ministers, and followed the eunuchs to the Xinuan Pavilion of the Yangxin Palace, but he was very apprehensive in his heart.

As a representative of the anti-smoking faction, he refused to go to Guangzhou to ban smoking, he not only had to lose Daoguang's trust and holy favor, but also lose the reputation and reputation accumulated in the government and the opposition over the years.

Steadily walked into the Xinuan Pavilion and glanced at Daoguang sitting cross-legged on the kang, he immediately knelt down and said, "Chen Lin Zexu respectfully invites the emperor to Sheng'an." After seeing the salute and getting up, he walked to the white felt mat in front of the kang and knelt down.

Daoguang looked him up and down, and said straightly: "Lin Zexu, I want to take you as a messenger and go to Guangzhou to preside over the overall situation of the smoking ban, what do you think?" ”

Lin Zexu knocked his head down, and said in a deep voice: "The minister thinks that he is shallow in his learning, and his virtue is thin and fresh, so he is afraid that he will have a holy life, and he does not dare to take on this heavy responsibility." ”

Daoguang Qishan revealed his thoughts in advance before Lin Zexu entered Beijing, that is, to let Lin Zexu have enough time to carefully consider and weigh, and he didn't want Lin Zexu to think carefully and refuse to go to Guangzhou, he couldn't help but feel disappointed, and after a long silence, he said in a deep voice: "Opium is poisonous in the world." It is very harmful, and the law should be strict. If it is still leaked, it will be so that after a few decades, there will be few soldiers in the Central Plains who can resist the enemy, and there will be no silver that can be paid. ”

This sentence was Lin Zexu's original sentence, and he naturally understood the meaning of Daoguang's recitation of his sentence in this situation. He immediately kowtowed: "The minister is afraid." ”

Daoguang sighed secretly and said in a deep voice: "Are you insisting on prevarication? ”

"I don't dare." Lin Zexu raised his body as he spoke, and said: "The smoking ban in Guangzhou is related to the success or failure of the world's smoking ban, and the minister does not dare to go rashly." ”

Seeing the peak turn, Daoguang was secretly happy in his heart, and said, "Why don't you dare, say." ”

"The minister is terrified." Lin Zexu kowtowed and said: "The minister dares to ask, what does the emperor want to do with Prince Zhuang?" ”

"Hmph." Daoguang sneered, "Are you questioning my determination to ban smoking? ”

On the same day, Daoguang made an order. A group of opium-smoking officials, including Lang Chinese Liang of the Internal Affairs Office, Wailang Jieqin, a member of the Criminal Department, and Kui Ying, director of the Li Fan Yuan, were dismissed from their posts and exiled.

For a time, there was a lot of noise in the capital, the royal family, the Manchu and Han officials, but anyone who was stained with crows. The film is all in a panic. Sucking crows. The gentry and businessmen of the film are also in danger, and the government and the opposition have a hunch that this time the ban on smoking in the imperial court is serious. It's definitely not going to be as wet and wet as it used to be.

Correspondingly, since Lin Zexu entered Beijing, Daoguang **** summoned him, and the grace of the saints has reached the point of no return, it is still Xinuan Pavilion, Daoguang and Lin Zexu. The two of them sat down and knelt down, and were silent for a long time before Daoguang spoke: "Shao Mu still questions my determination to ban smoking. ”

"I don't dare." Lin Zexu said and raised his body and said, "Crows are strictly forbidden. is related to the safety of the court and the livelihood of the people. Even if the minister is smeared with liver and brain, he has no hesitation, but the smoking ban in Guangzhou is a big matter, and he also asks the emperor to support him strongly, the minister is not afraid of going to the soup and the fire, he is not afraid of breaking his bones, and the minister is afraid of the teacher's failure, afraid of negative grace, afraid of becoming a sinner in the world! ”

Daoguang naturally understood what he meant by his strong support, and after a slight groan, he said, "Shao Mu, look at this excerpt." As he spoke, he picked up a copy of the fold and handed it over.

Lin Zexu took the excerpt and saw that it was jointly played by Deng Tingzhen, the governor of Liangguang, and Guan Tianpei, the Guangdong sailor, imploring to add and expand the Humen Fort, and replace all the large and small guns of the Humen Fort with Western artillery, which is expected to cost two million taels.

Huguang borders Liangguang, as the governor of Huguang, Lin Zexu has naturally heard of Yuanqi Bank for a long time, and he is no stranger to Yi Zhicontent, who proposed to build a railway and issue treasury bonds.

He instantly understood what Daoguang meant, the imperial court had no money, so he went to Guangzhou and asked Yuanqi Bank for silver, but he was a little suspicious, how could there be such a businessman in the world who took the initiative to donate such a huge amount of money for no reason? Humen, Guangdong Sailor, Yuanqi Bank is not smuggling crows. Slice? Coerced into contributing? Otherwise, how could there be such a generous and generous businessman?

After a little hesitation, he said bluntly: "The minister is lonely and unheard, and this kind of righteous businessman who is loyal to the country is really unheard of. ”

What do you mean? Daoguang's eyelids raised, is there still a cat behind this matter? Deng Tingzhen and Guan Tianpei are so bold that they dare to bully the monarch like this? No way! If this is the case, why should such a large amount of silver be thrown into the Humen Fort and go directly into the pocket, isn't it unaware?

"Less Mu is more worried." Daoguang said slowly: "Yuanqi Bank and the Thirteen Banks share the same weal and woe, Yi Zhishu is a businessman himself, how dare he act arbitrarily? Yuan Qi took the initiative to donate and strengthen the defense of Humen, I think it is a provocative move by England, which is also what I want to tell you, this time Guangzhou is no smoking, and you must try your best to avoid provoking border provocations.

First, the treasury is empty and unsuitable for the use of troops, and secondly, the money is so cheap that it is impossible to add it, and if Guangzhou raises troops and cuts off foreign trade, it will inevitably cause greater panic. ”

"Obey." Lin Zexu hurriedly kowtowed.

"The ban on smoking in Guangzhou is not only to ban smoking, but also to not start the border provocation and endless trade, the key of which is the thirteen lines." Daoguang said unhurriedly: "Thirteen Elements and Crows. The film trade has a very close relationship, Shao Mu went to Guangzhou to preside over the overall situation of the ban on smoking, and he had to apply both grace and power to the Thirteen Lines, both soft and hard, not only to force the Thirteen Lines to break away from the opium trade, but also to vigorously fund the imperial court to ban smoking. It is also necessary to appease the foreign merchants so that the trade will not be interrupted. ”

After a slight pause, he continued: "The smoking ban in Guangzhou can get the support of the thirteen lines, and it can get twice the result with half the effort." The reason why I chose Shao Mu to go to Guangzhou is not only because Shao Mu advocates a strict ban on crows. Slice. Also because Shao Mu is a Fujianese, the person who holds the thirteen lines of cattle in Guangzhou, and the two general merchants of Wu Pan are both Fujianese, and Fujian businessmen are known for holding together, and Shao Mu is a Fujianese, which is conducive to communicating with Wu Pan and obtaining the support of both families. ”

That's why Daoguang chose him to go to Guangzhou to ban smoking? Lin Zexu was speechless for a while, and the thirteen lines were just a group of merchants. Even if the wealth is strong, but the arms can still be more than the thighs? After bowing down and answering, he said: "Although Yuanqi Bank shares weal and woe with the Thirteen Banks, but after all, it is different from the Thirteen Banks, and since it is credible, can it be funded by Yuanqi?" ”

"How much silver can Yuan Qi have?" Daoguang said with a smile: "I donated 2 million to Humen, and I am preparing to build a railway from Guangzhou to Foshan, and the budget is also 4 million yuan. I don't want to fish with all my might, and I'm counting on Yuanqi to try to issue treasury bonds. ”

The railway from Guangzhou to Foshan costs four million yuan? Lin Zexu was secretly speechless. is so expensive, no matter how good this railway is, I am afraid that it will be difficult to promote, and what surprised him even more was that Yuan Qi was so generous! Even if it monopolizes the money industry in Guangdong Province, it has only been more than a year after all, and Yuanqi is lending at low interest. Where did it get so much silver?

Coming out of the Palace of Heart Cultivation, Lin Zexu was full of helplessness, Guangzhou is a ban on smoking, and it is clear that it is a pit, and it is difficult for anyone to please him. But Daoguang summoned him every day, and he had already identified him, what could he do? Even if you know it's a pit, you have to pinch your nose and jump down, what's more, someone has to jump into this pit, he doesn't dare to jump, the Manchu Dynasty is civil and military, who else dares to jump? This is exactly, if I don't go to hell, who will?

On November 15, the eighteenth year of Daoguang, after summoning Lin Zexu for the fifth time, Daoguang issued an edict: "Lin Zexu, the governor of Huguang and the secretary of the military department, will be awarded to the minister of Qincha Guan Fang, and gallop to Guangdong to investigate and deal with the Haikou incident, and all the sailors of the province will be under control." ”

On the 18th, Emperor Daoguang summoned Lin Zexu for the eighth time, and the entire Beijing division was a sensation, and he was summoned eight times in the eighth day, and rewarded him for riding a horse in the Forbidden City.

Lin Zexu who came out of the Palace of Nourishing Heart was very sober, and Daoguang's unconventional courtesy was not only to convey Daoguang's importance to the ban on smoking to the government and the opposition, but also to express his special trust in Lin Zexu, so as to improve his prestige and prestige, so as to facilitate him to go to Guangzhou to ban smoking.

Outside the noon gate, Gong Zizhen, the director of the Ministry of Rites, stood in an inconspicuous corner in a micro-suit and waited, he and Lin Zexu were both members of the Xuannan Poetry Society, and the relationship was very good.

The head of the Ministry of Rites is a six-rank official, but he is a lowly position in the Jingshi, he doesn't want to be miserable for the rest of his life, and the ban on smoking is something he strongly advocates, so he has drafted ten anti-smoking suggestions in the past few days, and has the intention to follow Lin Zexu south.

Seeing Lin Zexu coming out of the noon gate, Gong Zizhen hurriedly walked up to meet him, not wanting to get close yet, a big sedan chair stopped in front of Lin Zexu, he hurriedly stopped, and saw a second-grade senior member out of the sedan chair, this person he recognized, Shen Wei's sedan chair - Lin Zexu's teacher, he thought that his official position was low, and it was inconvenient to step forward.

Seeing the teacher, Lin Zexu hurriedly saluted and said with a smile: "The student is going to visit the teacher, and I don't want to meet here." ”

Shen Wei's sedan chair was about to enter the palace, and when he saw Lin Zexu, he was very worried about Lin Zexu's situation, and said with concern: "Crow. Drugs have been flowing for decades, smuggling for huge profits, appalling, Guangzhou has banned smoking, and it is difficult to prepare. ”

Now that this is the case, what else is there to say? Lin Zexu arched his hand and said: "Life and death are fate, success or failure is in the sky, how dare students insult the door wall, profit from the society, how dare students not fulfill their duties as an auxiliary minister?" ”

"Good! Good! Shen Wei's sedan chair applauded repeatedly, his heart was hot, and he immediately said: "Come to the house in the evening, call a group of people of the same year, and get together well, it should be for Shao Mu Yang." ”

Bidding farewell to the teacher, Lin Zexu was about to bow down to the sedan chair, but one of the people he heard shouted: "Brother Shaomu." When he looked up and saw that it was Gong Zizhen, he said happily: "Brother Boding." Saying that, he hurriedly greeted him, and said with a smile: "I've been busy socializing these days, and I don't have time to see Brother Boding." ”

Gong Zizhen said with a smile: "When the governor enters Beijing, no yamen can be exhaustive. He knew that Lin Zexu had a lot of entertainment, so he said a few words: "Guangzhou is a ban on smoking, and it is estimated that it is difficult for Brother Shaomu to refuse, so he drafted ten suggestions. As he spoke, he took out a note and handed it to him: "This Jingshi has long been bored in the next, if Brother Shaomu does not give up, he is willing to follow Brother Shaomu south to Guangzhou, and taste what he wants." ”

Hearing this, Lin Zexu slowly shook his head and said, "The situation is difficult, it's better not to accompany Brother Boding." ”

Seeing that he refused so simply, Gong Zizhen couldn't help but be stunned and said, "Why? ”

"Life and death are unpredictable."

Gong Zizhen said stubbornly: "Because of this, I have to go south with Brother Shao Mu." ”

In the nineteenth year of Daoguang, on the eighth day of the first lunar month, Lin Zexu, who was highly courteous by Daoguang in Beijing and was envied and jealous by all the officials in Beijing, was ordered to leave Beijing and rush to Guangzhou.

Guangzhou, Henan Island, Yuan Qiyixue.

It is the early spring, Guangzhou is already a little hot, Yi Zhizhi sat on the viewing platform of the big playground in a long shirt and watched the drill queue of a team of students on the playground, after more than half a year of training, he had already brought out a group of qualified military training instructors, and there was no need to go into battle in person, however, he still tried to find time to come to the volunteer school to watch the drill every afternoon, one was to supervise, and the other was to lecture.

The training progress of the students on the playground was uneven, the long time was three months, and the short time was less than a month, because most of these students had never studied, and there was no distinction between the left and right, and there were quite a lot of cases with the same side, and the training progress was really unsatisfactory.

"Young Master, Wu Gongzi is here." Listening to the report, Yi Zhixiang turned around and said with a smile: "How can Changqing have such idle work today?" ”

Wu Changqing raised his chin at the playground and said, "It's been more than half a year, I've been practicing and practicing, and I'm always annoying with these few actions, so I don't feel annoyed by my brother?" The soldiers of the green battalion also change their formation from time to time or something. ”

"What's the use of those fancy shelves?" Yi Zhicontent said disdainfully, and then said, "What's the news?" ”

"It's nothing." Wu Changqing said casually: "Lin Zexu has already set off for the south. (To be continued.) )