Zhang Shun took a messenger, got off the boat in Tianjin, and then changed horses, more than 200 miles, walked for less than two days, and rushed into the capital at noon the next day, and the people were so tired that they stinked to death.

Guan Zhuofan, Tu Lin, and Zhang Shun are the three people who went out of the Guan family's mansion, and if you count them, it has been a year since they left Beijing. So when Zhang Shun suddenly came back, the Guan family's mansion immediately became a sensation.

Guan Zhuofan's current identity is already a second-grade feudal division, with the title of governor, dazzling eyes, and a first-class lieutenant of light cars, the Guan family's mansion naturally rises with the scenery, and Shuntianfu has to send people to come once a month as usual to ask for warmth. And Guan Zhuofan's Mu Ning, who stayed in the Yamen of the Bu Army, has been promoted to a leader of the Yamen in Nancheng, and he even goes to the boss's house every ten years to see if there is anything lacking and if there is anything to do.

Under this kind of care, the Bai family and the Ming family are naturally worry-free, and the two of them are companions, and they don't feel lonely, the only thing they worry about is the uncle who is thousands of miles away, every time the news of the war comes, they are worried every day, and they can only rely on praying to God and worship the Buddha to get a peace of mind, and the only few letters from the family are locked in the big safe sent by Hurd, and they have to be taken out and read every few days.

Now that he suddenly saw Zhang Shun coming back, he was really overjoyed, and he couldn't help but stop asking long and short questions, and even Tubo Xiaofu was surrounded to listen.

Zhang Shun followed the rules and asked Bai Shi to say goodbye first, and he couldn't say more about the rest for the time being.

"Madam, the master has explained things to me, I have to do it first, in a word, everything is fine, a thousand good!" Turning his head to look at Tubo, he said again: "Thurin has been promoted from the guerrilla of Sanpin, and the six hundred personal soldiers of the master are under his control." Go for your old pleasure. ”

After saying these two sentences. Leave a few people there in a daze. I went back to the house to change my clothes, brought my things, and went out to run errands.

There are two things to do, first go to An Dehai, so that he is on duty in the palace, and he may not be at home one day, so he must leave a word first.

I didn't expect to be very lucky, and I arrived outside An Dehai's house in Big Tofu Lane. I heard that it was very lively inside, and I didn't ask if I knew that An Dehai was at home, and most of these people were people who came to set up hot and walk through the door.

When he knocked on the door, the person who came to open the door for him was a thin middle-aged man, very proud. Seeing that Zhang Shun was dressed as a subordinate, he rolled his eyelids: "Who are you looking for?" ”

Zhang Shun knew that there were many people inside, so he refused to say it directly, and smiled affectionately: "It's Uncle An, right?" I asked to see Second Master An. My master confessed a few New Year's goods, and let me definitely hand them over to Second Master An. ”

This is what Guan Zhuofan has confessed. An Dehai bought a house, found his uncle An Bangtai to take care of the house for him, and bought a girl to be a "daughter-in-law", a fake husband and wife, fake and good-looking.

"Who is you?" An Bangtai's tone was a little polite, but as soon as he glanced at the four snack boxes in his hand, he showed a look of contempt again, and said in his heart that there are no things that cost a few hundred taels of silver, and he dares to go to the door of my family's Dehai?

"Second Master An knows me, and you know it when you see it." Zhang Shun and An Dehai have dealt with each other twice, both of which are to send things, so he said with a smile, "You are tired, give me a report." ”

Anbang hesitated slightly, snorted in his nose: "You wait", turned around and went into the courtyard. After a while, he heard footsteps, and Andhai's impatient duck voice, complaining about his uncle.

"What's the matter if you don't come and don't have a background? I won't see it next time. ”

When he came out and saw Zhang Shun standing at the door, he was stunned at first, and then asked in surprise: "You are not ......"

"Second Master An!" Zhang Shun intercepted his words, and hit a thousand with his hand, "My master, ask me to send the New Year's gift over, and bring you a word by the way." ”

An Dehai is also a very alert person, seeing the little thing in his hand, he knew that Guan Zhuofan naturally had another "New Year's gift" to give to him, and he must have something important to explain, so he took Zhang Shun to the side room and said to An Bangtai: "Just say that I have something to do, tell them all to leave!" ”

Anbang agreed too resignedly, looking at their backs, puzzled. An Dehai rarely treats people so politely, and he really can't understand what this person is from.

*

*

What Xu Geng got was a red envelope and a letter. He sent Zhang Shun away, read the letter in the study, thought for a while, and asked someone to take the car to visit Cao Yuying's house.

"Zhuo Weng, the envoy fee for the next year has been settled." He opened with the joke and handed over a red envelope.

The two of them are friends who have nothing to talk about and can keep secrets, so naturally you don't have to be polite. Cao Yuying knew that Tan Jing, who didn't know which provincial official had arrived again, took out the silver ticket in the envelope in front of Xu Geng, and gasped.

"Huo, five thousand taels, which one has such a big hand?"

"You can't guess anymore - Guan Yixuan!"

"This kid has only been in Shanghai for a year, so wide?" Cao Yuying frowned slightly, "Besides, aren't you about to fight Suzhou?" ”

"Yes, it's the time of war, so you can see that you have something to entrust." Xu Gengshen said with a smile, "And most of the money is paid for him." ”

"Huh?" Cao Yuying didn't speak again, first let Xu Gengshen into the study, and when she sat down, she had already figured it out, "It's about the two folds I received the day before yesterday, right?" ”

"Zhuo Weng is wise, judging people and judging things, ten out of ten!"

Two excerpts, one refers to Li Hongzhang's invitation to Wu Xu's position in Shanghai Dao, and the other is Wu Tang's performance to protect the alternate Dao Yang Fang, who is outstanding and can be of great use. After discussing it on the military plane, he vaguely felt that the two folds seemed to be related, and now listening to Xu Gengshen's words, Cao Yuying knew that he had guessed well.

"Wu Tang is the governor of Caoyun, and it stands to reason that if Su Songtai's officials have meritorious service in Caoyun, he can be guaranteed." Cao Yuying groaned and said, "But the position of Shanghai Dao, in the end, it should be up to the meaning of the governor and the feudal division." ”

The meaning of Guan Fansi is obvious, and what Cao Yuying said is naturally Li Hongzhang.

"Li Shaoquan's excerpt didn't sponsor anyone, he wanted to pretend to be generous, so he just let him be generous." Xu Gengshen said very frankly, "The position of Shanghai Dao is very important, and it is not necessarily that Xiangjun will give it to whomever he says." It is still based on the decision of the central princes. ”

This sentence touched Cao Yuying. I silently weighed it in my heart for a while. asked: "Yan Gong and Pei Weng, is there any embellishment in Yixuan?" ”

"It's all up to me to do the errand for him," Xu Gengshen didn't hide it, and pointed to the envelope on the table, "That's the same number." I'm honest, you're going to have a fat year. ”

Yan Gong refers to King Gong's father-in-law Gui Liang, Pei Weng refers to Bao Jun, as for King Gong himself. I don't care about this money, but I don't have to give it.

"Yang Fang has been in Shanghai for many years, and he is familiar with foreign affairs, so I think it's okay to sit in this position." Cao Yuying nodded and said, "Since there is Wu Tang's guarantee now, the boss will probably not reject it." Tomorrow I will go to the court, and I will tell the prince. ”

*

*

The next day, in the Palace of Nourishing the Heart, it was said that Li Hongzhang's excerpt was handled. Between the Queen Mother and the military aircraft, it is inevitable to discuss the candidates.

Li Hongzhang said. Wu Xu wants to take charge of the Chang Shengjun for him, and Shanghai Dao has to be replaced. Cixi spoke first, "Who does he want to change?" ”

"It's fitting to have one person." King Gong reported Yang Fang's resume, and Zuihou said: "It just so happens that Wu Tang, the governor of Caoyun, also has an excerpt to protect him, saying that he is not afraid of hardships and is honest in his work, and he has made great efforts in Caoyun in the past. He is Su Songtai's alternate Daoist, who has been assisting in the Shanghai Dao Yamen all the year round, and he is very familiar with the affairs of the officials, and he can also speak foreign languages. ”

"Hmm." Wu Tang Bao Yang Fang's excerpt, Cixi naturally saw it, but she didn't expect it to be used to fill this position. Now that she thinks about it, it's a good fit, but she also has her worries.

"Shanghai Dao Yamen, it turns out that the atmosphere is not good, otherwise Li Hongzhang would not have moved his capital to kill several people! I don't know this Yang Fang, how is the ethics? ”

"The Queen Mother seems to be relieved in this section." King Gong said with confidence, "At the beginning, Li Hongzhang participated in four people, but he did not participate in Yangfang, which shows that his integrity must be haode." ”

This sentence is a statement that Cao Yuying discussed and provided to King Gong. However, why didn't Li Hongzhang want to participate in Yang Fang at the beginning? It's just that because of Guan Zhuofan's face, he had to open up, but today it was used as evidence of Yang Fang's excellent conduct, which was really something he could never think of again.

"Oh-" Cixi felt that King Gong's words were very reasonable, "It's just that now I want to fight Suzhou, and the burden of the Shanghai Daozhi military expenses is very heavy, I don't know if Yang Fang can do it......"

"The Queen Mother is very good!" King Gong picked up the conversation and said, "But there doesn't seem to be any need to worry about this layer - when Guan Zhuofan ran a foreign gun team in Shanghai, it was Yang Fang who prepared the military salary for him, and now the Xuanjun will bring it, and the naturalized Hua Er is Yang Fang's son-in-law." ”

So that's it! Cixi understood, this is to say, Yang Fang is Guan Zhuofan's person.

It stands to reason that since there is Wu Tang's guarantee and Guan Zhuofan's person, then King Gong's request can be granted. However, in the past year, the Empress Dowager Cixi has become more and more experienced in handling court affairs and employing people, and she is much more sophisticated than at the beginning. Shanghai Dao is a very important position, so she deliberately wanted to slow down, and refused to rashly agree.

"Got it." She nodded and said, "Let it go for a while, and our sisters will think about it again." ”

said "sisters think again", in fact, she wants to think again. After dinner on this day, I walked in the porch as usual - I had to walk a full 800 steps, not only to maintain my health, but also to maintain my figure.

She knows that Li Hongzhang's excerpt, asking the court to choose someone, is naturally fake and generous, there must be someone in the bag, and now if she takes the sea road and hands it over to Guan Zhuofan, will it cause Zeng Guofan and Li Hongzhang to be dissatisfied?

As I walked, I pondered, walked and walked, but suddenly stopped.

"Xiao Anzi!"

"In!" An Dehai, who was following her and counting the steps for her, ran up in small steps and replied.

"Look here, you've lost such a big piece of paint!" Cixi pointed to a pillar and said, "This is already the fourth, why are you on an errand?" This corridor should have been repaired by the Ministry of Internal Affairs a long time ago. ”

Cixi was the most picky in these matters, and An Dehai carefully looked at her face and took out a sentence about preparing haode.

"Back to the Queen Mother, the sixth prince said, now the country is in a difficult situation, and it has to be used everywhere, so the Internal Affairs Office has no money now, and the paint in the palace can only be repaired once every two years." After saying this, seeing that Cixi was silent, he dared to continue, "What the sixth prince said is also the truth, and the slave heard that now the household department is poor, and only the Hunan army outside is the richest." ”

"Nonsense, how do you know that the Hunan army is rich?"

"There are many good officials outside, they are all in their hands, and they are naturally rich when they think about it."

This sentence is not all slander, it is more or less true, but Cixi was reluctant to talk to the eunuch about these military affairs, so she just snorted and continued to walk.

An Dehai was mistaken, seeing that she didn't squeak, he thought it was acquiescence, so he followed behind and said boldly: "The use of the palace can't all rely on the internal affairs government, but also rely on the filial piety outside." The slaves heard that those who are in charge of money have to be sat by their own people to understand the rules and know the word filial piety. ”

Cixi listened, and Huo Di stopped. An Dehai thought that he had missed that sentence, so he was so frightened that he bent over and didn't dare to move, but Cixi ignored him completely, and stood there by herself, pondering.

Xiao Anzi's words were not wrong, she thought to herself. If you talk about your own people, then Li Hongzhang and Guan Zhuofan, which one is your own person?

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