Li Zhenyi waved his hand. and Zuo Zongtang sat down.

After Zuo Zongtang sat down, he dusted off the folds on his body, sighed lightly, and said helplessly: "King Zhennan left Beijing with the little emperor, and Yi 60 took over the big and small officials in the court in a short period of time and controlled the court. In addition, Zaiyuan, Du Han, Duanhua and other important ministers in the court have all lowered their Yi 60, and the officials who can't wait for the stream can only go with the flow and drop Yi 60 together. ”

Speaking of this, Zuo Zongtang's eyes flashed with resentment, and he said: "Yi 60 just took Beijing, and he summoned me alone, saying that I should dedicate myself to state affairs, and I will definitely be promoted in the future, but I didn't expect to be dismissed and lost in a blink of an eye." ”

Li Zhen listened, thinking that something must have happened later.

I only heard Zuo Zongtang continue: "After Yi 60 ascended the throne, everything went according to plan, and there was no wind. It's a pity that Du Han didn't know where he learned that I had a relationship with King Zhennan and targeted me everywhere. Du Han is an important minister in the court, and he has a relationship with Duanhua, Zaiyuan and others, so it is easy to deal with me. Du Han found a reason, dismissed my official position in the military department, and then got me a seven-grade Hanlin Academy editor, obviously to humiliate me! ”

Zuo Zongtang clenched his fists and said in a deep voice: "Under my atmosphere, I resigned and left Beijing. I think that at the beginning, Yi 60 personally summoned me, but unfortunately when Du Han made a move, Yi 60 became a turtle with a shrunken head. ”

Li Zhen said: "Brother Ji, I implicated you. ”

Immediately, Li Zhen laughed and said loudly: "Brother Ji, there is no master here, there is a place to keep the master!" Yi 60 doesn't know gold and jade, but he has eyes and no beads. ”

Zuo Zongtang said with feelings: "The world is big, but there is nowhere to live!" ”

When Li Zhen heard this, he laughed loudly again.

Zuo Zongtang was quite depressed and said: "I have been kicked out of Beijing, what else is there to laugh about?" If it weren't for the good relationship between the two, Zuo Zongtang would definitely walk away.

How can anyone rub salt on someone's wounds!

Li Zhen said: "Brother Ji Gao misunderstood, I laughed because Yi 60 didn't know the pearl." He values Du Han and wants to rely on these old bones, but he ignores the real Puyu, what a blind dog's eye! ”

When Zuo Zongtang heard this, his face showed embarrassment again.

Unexpectedly, he misunderstood Li Zhen.

Zuo Zongtang said humbly: "If I were a pearl, I would not be dusty, and the king of Zhennan would have a reputation." ”

Li Zhen said: "Brother Ji still wants to wait for Yi 60?" ”

Zuo Zongtang said: "Good horses don't eat the grass to turn back, and they all resign, so naturally they won't go back." ”

Li Zhen continued: "Yi 60 is talented and has certain ability. If it is a peaceful and prosperous world, Yi 60 can be regarded as a master of Zhongxing. However, at present, the Manchu Qing Dynasty was worried about internal and external troubles, there were corruption of officials inside, as well as banditry and rebellion, and Britain, France, Russia and other countries were eyeing each other, and Yi 60 was not allowed to display his talents at all. ”

Zuo Zongtang nodded and said, "The prince is reasonable!" ”

Li Zhen said again: "At present, the country is divided, and Yi 60 can only be a tinker and repair the broken house slightly. The most important thing is that Yi 60 is the emperor of the Manchu Qing Dynasty, who is inclined to the Manchus, and everything he does is for the Manchus. Brother Ji Gao is a Han and represents the people of the Han family. The two sides already have irreconcilable contradictions, and Brother Ji Gao's stay in Beijing will not last long after all. ”

Zuo Zongtang nodded, deeply convinced.

The court and the central government were almost all Manchurians, and there were very few Han Chinese, and the Han people could not hold high-ranking positions.

The two of them had a discussion on the issue of the Manchu and Han people. Soon, half an hour slipped through his fingertips, and the more Li Zhen and Zuo Zongtang talked, the more they felt that the person in front of him had ideas and talents. Similarly, Zuo Zongtang also very much agrees with Li Zhen, plus the two know each other and have a very happy conversation.

Li Zhen changed his words and said straight to the point: "The south is preliminary, and our army urgently needs a talent like Brother Ji!" This time, Brother Ji Gao is here, so let's stay. ”

Zuo Zongtang is a person outside the age of forty, which is the time when he has the most experience and experience, and it is the best time in his life. Zuo Zongtang came from the north and took the initiative to meet Li Zhen, he had the idea of wanting to become a leader, and when he heard Li Zhen's words, he was overjoyed. However, Zuo Zongtang is a stable person after all, there is no joy on his face, he got up without hurry, bowed to Li Zhen, and said, "I have seen the king of Zhennan!" ”

In a word, the attitude has already been indicated.

Li Zhen stood up, stretched out his hands to support Zuo Zongtang, and said, "Brother Ji, business is business between us, and we are still friends in private. This is and will always be the case, and it will never change. ”

After Zuo Zongtang heard this, his heart was warm.

Regardless of whether Li Zhen's words are credible or not, at least the person in front of him gave a promise.

"Goo! Mutter!! ”

A very discordant voice suddenly sounded in the hall.

Li Zhen looked at Zuo Zongtang, because the voice came from Zuo Zongtang's position. Zuo Zongtang's face changed slightly, and he said sneeringly: "I rushed all the way from the north, and I haven't eaten lunch yet, and my stomach is starting to drum." ”

"People are iron, rice is steel, if you don't eat a meal, you'll be hungry!" Li Zhen took Zuo Zongtang's hand and said with a smile: "Let's go, let's go to the living room where we eat, and talk while eating." ”

Two people, walking towards the living room.

At the same time, Li Zhen also instructed the cooks in the house to prepare meals. The two sat down in the living room, drank tea first, ate some pastries to cushion their stomachs, and chatted while waiting for the kitchen to be served. However, the two chatted for fifteen minutes, but there was no movement in the kitchen. Li Zhen suddenly became anxious and shouted, "Someone! ”

The attendant walked in and stood respectfully beside Li Zhen.

Li Zhen asked, "What's the matter, it hasn't been served yet?" "Fifteen minutes is enough time to make a side dish or two and to steam the rice. However, until now, the food has not been served and the meal has not been served, and Zuo Zongtang's stomach growls from time to time, Li Zhen is impatient.

The attendant explained: "My lord, because the fire that started the fire is damp, it is catching fire. ”

Li Zhen raised his eyebrows and asked, "Aren't there any matches?" ”

"Matches?" The attendant blinked, confused by the noun that came out of Li Zhen's mouth, and asked cautiously: "Lord Wang, the villain hasn't heard of matches, what is this?" ”

Zuo Zongtang said again: "Lord Wang, what is a match? ”

Seeing that neither of them knew, Li Zhen asked again, "You really don't know matches?" ”

"I don't know!"

When the two heard this, they shook their heads again and again.

Li Zhen stroked his forehead with his hand and said, "Am I mistaken, there are no matches yet." ”

In Li Zhen's cognition, there should be matches now.

In fact, at this cut-off, there is indeed no match name in China, and there is no foreign match. Historically, during the Northern and Southern Dynasties of China, some people have dipped sulfur on small wooden sticks, and with the help of fire or fire knives and flints, they can easily trigger the "yin fire" into "yang fire", which is the most primitive match in Chinese history.

However, this is not universal and is not universal.

During the Southern Song Dynasty, vendors selling matches began to appear on the streets of Hangzhou.

At that time, there were traders who cut pine wood into paper-thin pieces, coated one end with sulfur, and sold it. But it is not called "match", but "candle", "cuier", this is an early match that has been formed, but it has not attracted people's attention and attention, because it cannot be popularized, and it is not very convenient and practical.

Eventually, ignition in China has allowed the still ordinary ignition method to take over.

The situation in Europe is different.

After a series of gestation and the prototype of the first match, in 1826, the Englishman J. Walker invented the first match. In 1831, the Frenchman C. Soria used yellow phosphorus instead of antimony trisulfide to make yellow phosphorus matches. This kind of match is easy to use, but the fire is too sensitive, easy to cause fire, and in the process of manufacturing and use, because yellow phosphorus is highly toxic, seriously endangering people's health.

Therefore, such matches did not develop.

In 1855, the Swede J.E. Lundström created a new type of match, which glued a mixture of potassium chlorate and sulfur to the matchstick, and applied non-toxic red phosphorus to the side of the matchbox, as long as the match head was gently rubbed on the phosphorus layer, it could be ignited immediately. Because Lundström separates the strong oxidant and the strong reducing agent, which enhances the safety in production and use, it is called a safety match, which makes the match proudly widely promoted.

Li Zhen himself has used matches and is extremely familiar with matches.

There were no matches at the moment, which made him feel extremely inconvenient. Zuo Zongtang heard Li Zhen's words in his ears, felt strange, and asked, "Lord Wang, what is a match?" ”

Li Zhen said: "Matches are ignited, which is equivalent to fire folds and flints, which are easy to carry and easy to ignite. ”

"How is it made?" Zuo Zongtang asked.

"Step! Trample!!! ”

There was a sound of footsteps, and two attendants approached. One of the attendants served the meal, while the other served the hot food. After the two of them put down their meals, they explained why they had not been able to prepare them in time before turning around and leaving the hall. Li Zhen asked the soldiers who called to stand back, motioned for Zuo Zongtang to eat, and then began to discuss things.

Zuo Zongtang was hungry early, and he ate three bowls of rice in a row before he had a full burp.

Li Zhen eats some food from time to time and accompanies Zuo Zongtang to eat.

Zuo Zongtang put down the dishes and chopsticks, and said: "Let the prince smile!" ”

Li Zhen laughed and said, "Brother Ji Gao, you are a little witch!" You haven't seen me eat hungry, at least twice as fast as you do. ”

After that, Li Zhen took Zuo Zongtang to the study.

After the two sat down, Zuo Zongtang asked again: "Lord Wang, what is the matter with the matches mentioned earlier?" ”

Zuo Zongtang has not let go of this matter.

Li Zhen laughed and said, "Brother Ji, don't worry, I will definitely open your eyes." Next, I'm going to get the matches out, and this thing is a must. But before we get down to business. Regarding Brother Ji's arrangement, I will express my thoughts, and the two of us will discuss it, which is the most important thing. ”

Zuo Zongtang said: "The prince has decided, and there is no need to ask my opinion." ”

Li Zhen shook his head lightly and said, "Since it is good steel, of course it must be used on the blade, and it must be used to the fullest." Brother Ji Gao is talented, I want to let Brother Ji Gao show his strengths! ”

When Zuo Zongtang heard this, he was even more moved.