It's time to take a look at the situation in Huguang again, although you are the governor of Huguang, you can completely ask the Hunan Inspector Kui Zhen to hand over the people first and escort them to the Hubei provincial capital for interrogation, but the old fox Hua Shana in the officialdom did not do this, and patiently waited for the reply of Luo Bingzhang to be temporarily suspended, and then acted after the name was completely justified. Pen? Interesting? Pavilion wWw. ｂiquge。 ｉｎfo

Of course, Hua Shana also has his own difficulties in doing this, and the most critical reason is that Kui Zhen's temper is too strong, and Hua Shana is not too sure that he can force Kui Zhen to hand over people first; The second is that Huashana's authority is focused on the military, and there is no bitter lord to complain to Huashana, and Kui Zhen did not take the initiative to implore Huashana to come forward to investigate the case.

The third reason is also very fatal, this case involves the most taboo foreigners of the Xianfeng Emperor and the Manchu Qing court, and the evidence is ironclad, Hua Shana forcibly took over the right to try the case and exonerated Luo Bingzhang, a little carelessness may provoke fire, and the cautious Hua Shana is unwilling to take this risk.

Hua Shana wants to keep his subordinate Luo Bingzhang, Hua Shana is indeed a good man, but Hua Shana is not a fool, let alone a saint, and he will not be so great that he will not hesitate to risk himself to save Luo Bingzhang. - After all, Hua Shana also had some political enemies in the Manchu court, and Hua Shana couldn't do the stupid thing of sending a handle to the political enemy.

Hua Shana soon found that he was purely too careful, and asked Luo Bingzhang to be temporarily suspended, and blocked the mouth of the Manchu court with bitter meat, who would have thought that the Manchu court didn't even want Luo Bingzhang to eat bitterness, and approved Luo Bingzhang to stay in his original post to be participated, and only sent a five-grade imperial history to check the real power governor like Luo Bingzhang. Hua Shana immediately knew that Emperor Xianfeng didn't want to get rid of Luo Bingzhang at all, and couldn't help but smile bitterly.

Wenjie is right, the old man is really getting older and more timid, and the older he is, the more cautious he becomes. Just worried about Luo Ruzhaibai, and never thought that the emperor would be willing to move Luo Ruzhai and worry about it. ”

muttering a bit of self-blame, Hua Shana quickly put this matter behind her, and went to do her two major things with peace of mind, one is to paint and play the piano and practice calligraphy, and the other is to secretly keep an eye on Wu Chaoyue and Luo Bingzhang, two Han capable ministers, for the Manchu court, to beware of their sudden dissenting intentions, and no longer worry about Luo Bingzhang's case of privately bringing foreigners.

After another period of time, Yin Gengyun, the imperial history of Huguang Dao, who was ordered to investigate the case, rushed to the Hubei provincial capital by boat from Xiangyang, and the case had nothing to do with Hua Shana himself.

Yin Gengyun went through the motions, Hua Shana also went through the motions, and after saying a bunch of official nonsense such as upright and impartial, Hua Shana didn't even bother to reward Yin Gengyun with a coarse tea and light meal, and directly picked up the teacup to send off the guests, and said: "Yin Yushi, if you don't mind, you should also go for a walk over there in Wu Futai, it's about foreigners, and he is a great talent, how to investigate this case, you have to ask him for advice." ”

"The lower official has this intention, the master of the Taiwan is busy with official business, and the lower official is leaving."

Yin Gengyun, who is very good at sycophancy, knelt down and kowtowed again, bowed and retired, of course the high-ranking and powerful Hua Shana didn't need to send him, he yawned and returned directly to the piano room, ready to stroke a song to wash away the cheesiness brought by Yin Gengyun, but he didn't play long on the lyre, but someone outside the door came to report, "Lord Yutai, that Lord Yin came back just now, saying that there was an edict just received, 100,000 urgent, please meet again." ”

"Annoying? Tell him to wait, and the old man will see him later! ”

Yaxing was interrupted, and Hua Shana, who had a very good temper, rarely got angry, first drove away the subordinates who had been informed, and then continued to play the unfinished piano song, but due to interference, Hua Shana was extremely dissatisfied with this song, so when he came to the guest room to meet Yin Gengyun again, Hua Shana was of course full of discomfort and anger. When Yin Gengyun, who was turning in circles with his hands behind his back in the guest room, hurriedly came up and kowtowed, Hua Shana waved his hand and asked angrily: "Excuse me, what's so urgent?" Just out of the house and back? ”

"Lord Zhangtai, Luo Futai's case is making a big fuss."

Yin Gengyun's voice was full of anxiety, and while presenting the official document that had just been delivered to Hua Shana, he explained: "The imperial court has just sent an edict to the lower officials with an urgent dispatch of six hundred li, ordering the lower officials to suspend the investigation of the case, seal all human and material evidence, and wait for the minister personally appointed by the emperor to arrive in Huguang, and then assist the minister to investigate the case in detail." ”

Before Yin Gengyun's words were finished, Hua Shana's anger had already flown out of the clouds, and when he hurriedly took the edict and took a closer look, he saw that the above content was similar to Yin Gengyun's introduction, and Hua Shana, who had been mixed with officialdom for decades, immediately smelled a strong smell of danger, and said secretly: "Something big has happened, Luo Bingzhang is afraid that he will be unlucky this time." But it's strange, the emperor's previous attitude was obviously that he didn't want to move Luo Bingzhang, why didn't the emperor change his hexagram again within a few days? ”

In terms of intelligence against the enemy, Huashana was inferior to Wu Chaoyue, but in terms of officialdom intelligence, Huashana's source channels and efficiency left Wu Chaoyue a few streets, and within a few days, the real reason for Emperor Xianfeng's sudden change of hexagram, the name and identity of the minister, and the background of the faction, and even the copy of the impeachment of Wu Chaoyue on suspicion of bribery were all sent to Huashana. And after learning the truth of all this, the first thing Hua Shana did was to send someone to spread the word to Wu Chaoyue, "Go and call Wu Chaoyue to see me immediately!" Fast! Instantly! ”

According to Hua Shana's request, Wu Chaoyue ran to the governor's yamen to meet Hua Shana as quickly as possible, and saluted solemnly as before, but Hua Shana no longer cared for Wu Chaoyue as much as before this time, and threw the copy of Kui Zhen's impeachment in front of Wu Chaoyue, and shouted with a face: "Tell the old man, what's going on?" ”

Picking up Kui Zhen's excerpt and looking at it carefully for a while, Wu Chaoyue lowered his head, not even daring to take a sip, but Hua Shana was angry, and shouted: "Why don't you speak?" Did you even send money to Quix? ”

Wu Chaoyue didn't dare to say anything with guilt on his face, but nodded honestly, and Hua Shana was also suddenly angry, and lost his temper with Wu Chaoyue for the first time, "Are you crazy or stupid?" The old man has long said that if you want to keep Luo Bingzhang, the best way is to completely dissociate yourself from Luo Bingzhang, and even deliberately fall into Luo Bingzhang, so that outsiders feel that you are incompatible in Huguang, so that Luo Bingzhang can be safe and sound! Why don't you do what the old man tells you? ”

"The younger generation thinks that if Kui Zhen gets through the relationship, he may be able to press the matter directly in Huguang ......." Wu Chaoyue said like a child who had made a mistake and commented on an adult: "I just didn't expect that Kui Zhen's bastard would be such a birdman virtue, and he didn't even sell the face of his friend Guo Songtao for many years, and he also sued his juniors." ”

"You're confused!" Hua Shana's face was full of hatred, and he smashed the table and said: "The old man told you a long time ago that the reason why Luo Bingzhang deliberately excluded Kui Zhen was because Kui Zhen's birdman temper was too weird, he didn't eat soft and hard, and he didn't eat oil and salt, so letting him move to Changsha would only add to the chaos!" ”

"The old man deliberately didn't interfere in that matter, also because he knew Kui Zhen's bull temper too well, and didn't want him to break Luo Bingzhang's elbow! You still went on the pole to send him a handle, and now it's okay, you're also involved, and you can't make a big deal if you don't want to! ”

"Flower making table, the younger generation is really a good intention." Wu Chaoyue said aggrievedly: "To put it mildly, if you also get into a lawsuit that day, the younger generation will be bankrupt and sell iron, and I must save you and help you." ”

"The old man doesn't need you to save him, and he doesn't need your help! Painting snakes and adding feet, what is called painting snakes and adding feet, you are called painting snakes and adding feet! Do you know that in order to save Luo Bingzhang, the old man deliberately asked him to be suspended from his post with a bitter trick, just because he didn't want the court to interfere in this matter, so that the old man could get the right to investigate the case and press the case in Huguang, and the attitude of the emperor and the court was obviously not wanting to redo Luo Bingzhang! ”

"It's good for you, in order to save Luo Bingzhang, you don't hesitate to bribe your subordinates, so that it is difficult for the court not to suspect that you and Luo Bingzhang have a special relationship! The old man is also unlucky, once someone in the court sees through the old man's bitter plan, he will immediately suspect that Huguang is a governor and two fuss who advance and retreat together, share honor and disgrace, and will definitely desperately go to Huguang to carry sand! Break up the trio of you, me and Luo Bingzhang, and break the unity and unity that the old man has built with great difficulty in Huguang! ”

was trained by Hua Shana so that he didn't even dare to take a breath, Wu Chaoyue had already saluted Hua Shana and pleaded guilty, but fortunately, Hua Shana was also quite self-contained, and he gradually calmed down after venting his anger, counting Wu Chaoyue's kindness to do bad things, thinking for a moment, Hua Shana suddenly asked: "Did the foreigner make up for the loophole in the silver?" ”

"Catch up." Wu Chaoyue replied honestly: "The reason why I sent Hubei official silver to Kui Zhen was because Guo Songtao was worried that foreign money would be inconvenient to use in Hunan, so he asked my account room to be exchanged for cash, and the account room was used as the incorruptible silver that the lower officials received in the domain. ”

"That's good." Hua Shana gasped and said, "Remember, the silver that was bitten to death was made by foreigners, and you must not let go!" He Tinggui, who came to investigate the case this time, is a member of Bai Ye's party, and he will definitely not let go of any opportunity to pull you into the water! ”

"Xie Hua made the table for guidance, and the younger generations are grateful." Wu Chaoyue hurriedly thanked him, and asked again: "Hua Zhitai, what should you do with Luo Futai?" ”

"Old man, I should be fine." Hua Shana shook his head and said: "Even if someone in the court can see through the old man's bitter plan, the old man's bitter plan did not succeed and failed to exonerate Luo Bingzhang, and they can't get any evidence to rectify me. ”

"As for Luo Bingzhang......."

Speaking of this, Hua Shana sighed and said: "Weiting, you really have to apologize to Luo Ruzhai this time, because of your good intentions to do bad things, Luo Ruzhai should not be able to keep the position of governor of Hunan this time, and the lightest is to be demoted and resigned, and transferred to a province far away from Huguang as an official." ”

"Is it that serious?" Wu Chaoyue asked in surprise.

"Weiting, you must remember the old man's words." Hua Shana lowered her voice and said, "No matter how good your achievements and meritorious achievements are in governing Huguang Province and how high your merits are, the imperial court will never allow the two of you to be really close and become monolithic!" If this situation really occurs, there will be people in the court who don't even dare to sleep and close their eyes in peace! ”

Wu Chaoyue nodded and was taught, humbly remembering this truth that he had long understood.

"So Luo Ruzhai can't run away this time no matter what." Hua Shana prophesied: "Of course, it is impossible for the emperor and the court to move Huguang's one governor and two fuss at the same time, and the old man is suspected of shielding Luo Bingzhang, but there is no evidence, and the court cannot move." You are suspected of paying bribes for Luo Bingzhang, but fortunately, you are still smart enough to give money to the foreigner's signboard, and as long as the court can't get the evidence, it is also impossible to move you. ”

"It's just that I pity Luo Ruzhai, I took foreigners into the mainland privately, making Changsha full of storms, and the human certificate was also obtained by the fool of Kui Zhen, and the evidence of the crime was conclusive, just to give the court the opportunity to dismantle the Huguang Governor and Fu partner to mix sand, if it is light, it will be demoted and transferred, and if it is heavy, it will be directly dismissed, and he will be replaced by the Manchurian Banner Governor with pure blood."

"If that's the case, that's what I'd like to see the most." This is Wu Chaoyue's heartfelt words.

…………

After Bao Jun and He Tinggui came to Huguang to investigate the case, although He Tinggui wanted to pull Wu Chaoyue into the water, he had no choice but to find the British captain Cameron who gave out the money to help his compatriots, and the evidence that Wu Chaoyue paid out of his own pocket could not get the silver, so there was no way to rely on Wu Chaoyue.

Kui Zhen is indeed cute, and then truthfully accused Wu Chaoyue of bribery, but also admitted that when Guo Songtao gave him silver, he explained that the silver came from foreigners, and it was only because of the inconvenience of using the silver that Guo Songtao was exchanged for Wu Chaoyue's incorruptible silver in the account of the governor of Hubei. The neutral Baojun did not want to deliberately rectify Wu Chaoyue, but also did not dare to offend Su Shun, so he stopped He Tinggui's entanglement and truthfully reported the matter of Wu Chaoyue's delivery of silver to the Manchu court.

On the contrary, Luo Bingzhang's matter is simple and easy to do, the three foreigners all admit that they were received to Changsha by the official ship of the Hunan Governor Yamen, and there are countless circumstantial evidence, Luo Bingzhang has no way to deny it, so he can only honestly bow his head and admit his guilt.

What makes Luo Bingzhang want to cry without tears is still to come, Luo Bingzhang originally planned to follow Wu Chaoyue's example to take advantage of the treaty, under the pretext of hiring foreigners to work for himself rather than deliberately indulging foreigners in the mainland. However, Bao Jun, the envoy of Qinchazheng, told Luo Bingzhang very helplessly, saying that the three foreigners, two from Britain and one from France, were not Americans who were clearly prohibited from entering the mainland at will as stipulated in the treaty.

The Treaty of Nanjing, signed between the Manchu government and the British, and the Treaty of Huangpu signed with the French, both clearly stipulated that once the British and French were found to have left the treaty port and gone deep into the interior, they were to be immediately arrested and detained and transferred to the nearest foreign consulate for disposal. Therefore, Luo Bingzhang could not exploit the loopholes of the "Wangxia Treaty" like Wu Chaoyue......

"Even the treaty tricked me, and the old man recognized it this time." This is Luo Bingzhang's heartfelt words.

Not only did Wu Chaoyue and the late Qing Dynasty pit Luo Bingzhang, but the foreigners also helped the pit, and during the investigation of the case, another major incident happened in Guangzhou - because the people of Guangzhou burned the foreign company and ransacked the British mail ship, the British fleet, which had retreated to Hong Kong, bombarded Guangzhou again, and burned thousands of houses in one go in retaliation. And after the news reached the capital, Emperor Xianfeng naturally hated foreigners even more.

In this context, the case of Luo Bingzhang privately taking foreigners into the mainland naturally became a big case, if it weren't for the fact that there were still a few people in the court who spoke for Luo Bingzhang to intercede, Emperor Xianfeng's impression of Luo Bingzhang was not bad, and Luo Bingzhang was released on the side of the net, and there was no particularly heavy poison on Luo Bingzhang - otherwise, the officials discussed the punishment of cutting Luo Bingzhang to the people and exiled him to Xinjiang to eat cantaloupe.

But even so, in order to warn local officials not to collude with foreigners, and in order to break up the 'close' combination of Wu Chaoyue and Luo Bingzhang, the Han Chinese, the Xianfeng Emperor still demoted Luo Bingzhang by three levels, demoted him to the prefect and transferred him to Tai'an, Shandong, and took over the post of governor of Hunan by the Zhenghuang Banner Wenge.

Fortunately, the sky has eyes, and Wu Chaoyue also followed some bad luck, in view of Wu Chaoyue's negligence in providing foreign technicians for Luo Bingzhang, the Xianfeng Emperor pulled out Wu Chaoyue's eyes that Wu Chaoyue had just worn back a few days ago, and fined him for one year, and at the same time, the Xianfeng Emperor also clearly warned Wu Chaoyue in the holy decree, "If there is any collusion with Yangyi, the punishment will not be slackened!" ”

"It's best, Lao Tzu is still worried that the War of the Two Crows will start, you will transfer Lao Tzu to Zhili, and force Lao Tzu to negotiate with foreigners." Wu Chaoyue pouted disdainfully.

Then, naturally, when Luo Bingzhang left Hunan dejectedly and went to Shandong to take office and passed through Wuhan on the way, Wu Chaoyue of course ran to Luo Bingzhang and cried bitterly to plead guilty, admitting that he had hurt Luo Bingzhang in a momentary confusion. And although Luo Bingzhang wanted Wu Chaoyue to strangle him to death with his own hands deep in his heart, he couldn't find anything to complain and condemn Wu Chaoyue - Wu Xiaocomprador took his own cheap money to do things for Luo Bingzhang, Luo Bingzhang dared to scold Wu Chaoyue for half a sentence, and the ungrateful hat had to be buckled on his head immediately.

Therefore, Luo Bingzhang could only comfort the tearful Wu Chaoyue in turn, and said, "Weiting, how can the old man blame you?" You're well-intentioned, you're completely well-intentioned. (To be continued.) )