"Oh?" Zeng Guofan's eyes widened, and his right hand paused slightly on his long beard before he brushed it down again.

Guan Zhuofan's crisp and neat statement was tantamount to making a promise on the spot to "not enter the city", which surprised him. For Guan Zhuofan, this can be regarded as a very sincere expression, but with Zeng Guofan's identity and cultivation, of course he would not say any words of gratitude in person, just nodded slightly, pondered for a while, and suddenly said irrelevant things.

"Yixuan, I heard that you spoke foreign language, you spoke it very well?"

"It's not good, but I've heard that I can deal with all three of them." Guan Zhuofan is very calm, not strange at all, and answers whatever he asks.

"Hmm. You have run telegraphs in Shanghai and Jiangsu, and you are considered a person who has practiced foreign affairs, and I heard that you have benefited a lot from military affairs. Zeng Guofan asked, "I don't know what you think about foreign affairs?" ”

"The lower officials think that if the affairs of foreign affairs, if the officials, businessmen, and foreigners perform their duties and are in their own positions, they can complement each other." Guan Zhuofan said respectfully, "Things like the telegraph, in addition to military affairs, are actually very useful in civil affairs and commerce. ”

Zeng Guofan listened very carefully, and when he asked again, he already had a little bit of a compliment.

"If the far-sighted Shi Gong is too far-sighted, in the "Historical Records" also ranked the "Biography of the Goods and Colonies" in the one hundred and twenty-ninth chapter, and there is only one self-preface similar to the Baba language, which has actually listed the merchant as Zuihou. Why, according to your meaning, does foreign affairs seem to be inseparable from merchants? ”

"The so-called world changes over time, and it is appropriate to change the law." Although Zeng Guofan had relaxed his tone, Guan Zhuofan still did not lose his respectful demeanor. "The Governor is a man who learns from the poor. Zhuo Fan has a little insight at this point. Ben didn't dare to show off in front of the commander. However, in Zhuo Fan's view, the strength of the Western powers is actually due to the prosperity of commerce. Merchants are profit-seeking, so they can communicate with each other, and in addition to businessmen, they can also set up businesses. He is not tired of trivialities, he is not afraid of complicated things, and he acts quickly. The advantages of calculating the fine are not something that the government can do, but it is really a bridge between the two ends of the government and the ocean. ”

Zeng Guofan was stunned - Guan Zhuofan is a banner man, he can lead troops to fight, can do foreign affairs, and can speak foreign languages, this is already a great thing, who would have thought that he would drop his schoolbag and be the head of the Tao?

He is a person who can really recognize, appreciate, and love talents. couldn't help but change his face, and a smile appeared on his face for the first time. said with relief: "Yixuan, I didn't expect you to have such knowledge. Good! Good! Isn't it a blessing for the country to have more talents like you? ”

"Zhuo Fan didn't dare to be." Guan Zhuofan thanked him on his lips, but he was thinking in his heart: Saying that Zeng Guofan was poor in the world, although he was a sycophant, he still deserved it. However, his insight is always limited by the times, and there is no way to do it. His own superficial truth of commodity economy can probably be refreshing to him.

"You can afford it." Zeng Guofan smiled, "However, in your opinion, if you want to do foreign affairs, what should come first?" ”

"Naturally, talent comes first!" Guan Zhuofan said without hesitation, "Mount Tai does not let the soil, so it can become big; The river and the sea do not choose a trickle, so it can be deep. Regardless of Chinese or Western, as long as there is a skill in foreign affairs, and can be used by me, or awarded a famous weapon, or rewarded with gold silk, all to solicit, pay attention everywhere, then the foreign affairs can be almost successful. ”

"Oh? I don't know if Yixuan has ever seen such a talent? ”

"Don't hide it from the commander, Brother Zeng Shi, whom Zhuo Fan saw outside the tent first, is such a great talent!" Guan Zhuofan pointed out Zeng Jize in a dignified manner.

Zeng Guofan was stunned for a moment, and finally hahadaxiao got up.

This laugh is not for Guan Zhuofan's praise of his son, but for Guan Zhuofan's words on foreign talents, which really has the same feeling for his spleen and stomach. After laughing, I couldn't help but wonder in my heart, among the officials of my Hunan army, is there a person like Zhuo Fan?

As young as he is, naturally not. Others, even in terms of the most outstanding Li Hongzhang, seem to be quite inferior in terms of knowledge.

This man is really a genius. Zeng Guofan thought to himself, he didn't even order Xiucai, but the few paragraphs he said just now can be regarded as an export chapter, although there are still a little stiff and immature places between the words and sentences, but the insights and truths contained in it are far from being comparable to those Hanlin who can only dance and write.

In the flag man, there is such a character!

Thinking of the flag man, thinking of the ninth brother Zeng Guoquan, and then thinking of Li Hongzhang, he silently calculated in his heart, and did not speak again for a while. Zeng Guofan didn't speak, Guan Zhuofan naturally didn't speak, he sat aside and waited quietly, but he was full of emotion in his heart.

He is the secretary of the Jiangsu Domain, and naturally he is also a subordinate official of Zeng Guofan, so Zeng Guofan's question has an exquisite meaning, just like an interview. I think when I was a senior, I also submitted countless resumes, and I have seen a lot of pretentious interviewers, among whom I really took the words in "Zeng Guofan's Family Book" to test myself! If they knew that it was Zeng Guofan himself who interviewed them today, I don't know how they would feel?

Still thinking like this, Zeng Guofan had already spoken.

"Yixuan, there are more than 20,000 people in your trip to the west this time, who is running a grain station for you? If you lack anything, I'll ask Yuan Fu's Jizi camp to transfer it to you. ”

"Back to the commander's words, on the grain platform on the front line, Liu Xun is in charge, and he is quite effective." Guan Zhuofan replied, "Behind is Li Futai who is sitting for me, doing his best to support. I can let go of the west to Jiangning this time, and it depends on him. ”

When Zeng Guofan heard this, his face was as usual, and he didn't say anything special.

"It turned out to be Liu Songyan," Zeng Guofan nodded, "It's a good hand, and it's about to be worry-free." ”

After saying this, with a right hand, he began to stroke the long beard under his chin again, and said slowly: "Yixuan, I will go back to Anqing tomorrow." The siege of Jiangning is not a temporary effort, and it will take about a year and a half before there is a chance to break the city. In any case, after the city is broken, I will truthfully report the merits of the Xuan army in the excerpt. ”

"Governor Xiexie!" Guan Zhuofan wanted to get up to say goodbye, but was stopped by Zeng Guofan with a gesture.

"It always depends on everyone's concerted efforts," Zeng Guofan said with a smile, "When the time comes, I will be in Jiangning, waiting for good news." ”

*

*

The next day, Zeng Guofan really set off to return to Anqing. On the third day, hundreds of cattle came over on the grain platform of the Jizi camp, which was regarded as a reward for the Xuan army. At the same time, he also brought a message from Zeng Guoquan to pay tribute to Guan Zhuofan.

"Xuan Shuai, you promised Governor Zeng that you wouldn't enter Jiangning?" After listening to Guan Zhuofan, Liu Xunyi asked unwillingly, "No wonder Zeng Yuanfu was so condescending." ”

"Naturally, I don't enter." Guan Zhuofan remembered Liu Xun's embarrassment when he was driven out of the Jizi camp last time, and said with a smile, "A gentleman's word, the horse is difficult to chase." ”

"If I don't fight, I am idle on the grain platform, but after a year and a half, I have done nothing, just watching others fight, I am afraid that I will be tired of raising soldiers."

"Why are you doing nothing," Guan Zhuofan corrected, "Zeng Jiushuai saw us coming, and he had to work harder." ”

"I think that if we don't come, Zeng Yuanfu will definitely work hard." Liu Xunjiao said seriously, "What a great honor it is to restore Jiangning, for the mountain nine thousands, now it is just this short, he Jiushuai will not know, he has long been red-eyed." ”

"Well, there's no need to whip yourself up." Guan Zhuofan said with a smile, "But Zeng Jiushuai used not a forcible attack, but a siege method - he wanted to use all the troops on the periphery of Jiangning to help him slowly trap Changmao, but if he was zuihou, it was up to Zeng Jiushuai to take the credit of conquering Jiangning alone." This wishful thinking is a good fight, and the casualties of his Jizi battalion can be minimized, but in this way, not only the Xuan army, but even the troops of the Hunan army, such as Bao Chao, Zhang Yunlan, and Xiao Qijiang, have no choice but to accompany him to act. ”

This is what was said, and there is still a sentence that has not been said - if according to historical facts, if it is surrounded like this, it will take another year to break Jiangning, then why did I, Guan Zhuofan, come?

Now that I'm here, I'm going to save this year!

"What Xuan Shuai said is, but what can you do if you don't accompany him to act?" Liu Xunji said helplessly, "After all, I promised Governor Zeng's ......"

"Mr. Liu, you probably know that I am from the Bujun Yamen."

"Nature knows. At the beginning, Xuan Shuai led the infantry horse team, captured Juhan, and became famous all over the world. ”

"Don't dare to be." Guan Zhuofan smiled and said, "However, the soldiers of the Yamen of the infantry army are haode, and they have unique skills in their hands, especially a whip, which can make them superb." When you want to scare people, you can strike a whip three inches before the tip of your nose, but it will never hurt you in the slightest, do you say it's powerful? ”

Naturally, it is powerful, but he is talking about military affairs, why did he suddenly turn to the "kung fu of bullet pressure"? Liu Xunji hesitated, and failed to understand what Guan Zhuofan meant for a while.

"Order Ding Ruchang, Jintai and Baiyue ships to immediately bombard Jiangning!" Guan Zhuofan put away his smile and said calmly, "I'm going to give a whip flower to Zeng Laojiu." ”

*

(Three watches in the evening)

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