"What does the teacher think, what is this son wanting?" Li Hongzhang asked. Pen % fun % Pavilion www.biquge.info

"I can't figure it out right now." Zeng Guofan shook his head and said, "Maybe I'm overthinking......"

"According to the students, this son invites the royal family, and the one who does it should want to use the power of the royal family to work up and down, and contribute to the prosperity of foreign affairs!" Li Hongzhang said.

"That's what you think?" Zeng Guofan looked at Li Hongzhang.

"The teacher can think about it, if there is no central approval, the shipmaster is only afraid that today, he is still building the ship that is 'neither a donkey nor a horse'. Lin Kunyu is a micro-member, and he can use the power of the center to change his course, and the means in this are beyond the reach of students. Li Hongzhang said, "And this son urged the Lord to return the treasure, invited the royal family, thought that he was promoted to the ranks, and worked so hard to be an official, so that he could have the authority to act freely in the future." When students say something from their hearts, they also have these thoughts. ”

"What you said is that this son is too scheming, he is so proficient in scheming at a young age, and he can still give a slap to a character like Zuo Jigao from time to time......" Zeng Guofan said, clenching his fists, "I'm afraid that in the future, I will be both a capable minister and a hero in troubled times!" ”

Li Hongzhang didn't speak, but his eyes unconsciously showed disapproval.

"It's too early to tell. So, Shaoquan, you have to watch him carefully. Zeng Guofan said, "If his mind is not right, you need to be careful, if it is dedicated to the country, regardless of fame and fortune......" Zeng Guofan's eyes flashed with a hint of expectation, "Then, talents are rare!" Whether it is a capable minister or a hero, you can choose him to be your replacement in the future! ”

"Substitute?" Li Hongzhang was taken aback.

"That's right! Substitutes! Do big things to find a replacement first! Zeng Guofan said, one eye actually released a bright light, "If he can be your substitute, within thirty years, self-improvement and prosperity are expected!" ”

"Teacher, what do you think is the biggest deficiency of the students?"

After a while, Li Hongzhang suddenly asked Zeng Guofan.

With his many years of experience with teachers, he knows that by asking questions suddenly, he can often get the most straightforward mantra in the teacher's heart.

As expected. Zeng Guofan replied casually: "Your shortcomings are intolerant. I have no other strengths in my life, and I am better than you in this regard. When he was still in Beijing, Shao Weixi saw it, and he said that I would be a gentleman after I died, although it was a joke, but it really hit the point. Do you remember the first article I told you that year? ”

"Remember, remember." Li Hongzhang replied repeatedly. That year, Zeng Guofan told the story of two countrymen who did not give in to each other on the field, which made a deep impression on him. He had thought about it for a long time, and he had appreciated many of the contents of this little story, but he was not sure what the teacher himself meant. "The teacher, the students and the staff couldn't guess the meaning of this story at the time, and today I ask the teacher to make it clear!"

Looking at Li Hongzhang's pious and pious look, Zeng Guofan smiled: "Actually, there is no deep meaning, just a trivial matter that can often be seen in the countryside." It's all two tough people, standing up there, seeing which one lasts a long time, and those who can't hold on will naturally lose. When I was young, I liked to work with others, but now that I'm old, if I don't stand up, I won't have any performance, and it seems that I have to stand up, so I remind you to pay attention to who wins and who loses in the world, and sometimes it depends on whether you can stand up or not. ”

Li Hongzhang nodded as if he had understood. After a while, he said: "The student thought at the time that the teacher told this story to warn us: it is always useless to shout and discuss the affairs of the world, and we must bow down to the game, be responsible, just like that old man, there is hope for success." Just like the Tianjin teaching case that happened later, the main fighters are all outsiders, they are irresponsible, and they are still angry, if they are allowed to enter the game and be responsible, they will not shout so vigorously. I don't know if this understanding of students makes sense? ”

"Makes sense." Zeng Guofan smiled knowingly.

"I hope that Shaoquan will do Xu Tu's self-improvement career to the end. In the next two years, we must first do a good job in selecting and sending young children to go abroad, and do it in a down-to-earth manner. This time the young children went to France, you and Lin Kunyu have made remarkable achievements, and I am very grateful. This is also where I think Lin Kunyu is a rare talent, and he can think of this layer at a young age. ”

Speaking of foreign affairs, Li Hongzhang is the most interested, and he also thinks that he has the deepest research, and he can't help but talk about it: "Foreign affairs must be done!" Over the past 100 years, the countries of Thailand and Spain have traveled from India to the South Seas and from the South Seas to the Northeast, intruding into the hinterland of our borders. Where the prehistory has not been contained, the eternal has not passed, all of them have sought mutual markets. Our emperor has made a contract with him to trade with him as much as the sky, and the distance of 90,000 miles from the east, west, north and south of the earth is gathered in China, which is indeed a major change in 3,000 years. China's bows and spears, spears, and earthen cannons cannot defeat the rifles of foreigners, and China's boats and ships cannot defeat the ships and aircraft of foreigners, so they are subject to foreigners. In today's situation, extravagant rhetoric, expulsion, and so on are illusory theories, that is, if you want to protect peace and defend the territory, if you don't have guns, guns, ships, and ships, it is also empty talk. The students thought that the way to self-improvement was to learn what they could and take what they could do, so they had to run a machine bureau and a shipyard. The students thought that the guns and ships of the foreigners were only created in more than 100 years, and they could persistently invade China. If we can understand the law, we will be able to build ships and cannons like foreigners, and maybe we can surpass them, and then we will not have to worry about standing on our own. Therefore, Lin Kunyu's proposal to send young children to study abroad was highly approved by the students and did their best to help them do their best. ”

Zeng Guofan listened attentively to Li Hongzhang's grand remarks, and was greatly appreciative of his argument of "one major change in three thousand years."

"Shaoquan, you summarize today's situation with the phrase 'three thousand years and one big change', which is very concise and beautiful. After you take over as the direct governor, the first thing you will do is to take this sentence as the purpose and give the queen mother and the emperor an excerpt of what you just said, so that everyone in the world can be shaken. ”

"Okay, I'll write when I get back." Li Hongzhang also had this idea for a long time, and he wanted to ring the alarm for people like King Alcohol and Wuren Song Jin.

"Shaoquan, there is one thing I want to remind you, whether it is to do foreign affairs, whether it is to quote the good methods or systems of foreigners, or to send people to stay abroad, there is a foothold to always remember, that is, we must be based on my famous Chinese religion. Why, and what's at stake, I think you can understand. ”

"Students understand that the Chinese Ethics and Famous Teaching are the original, supplemented by the art of prosperity and strength of other countries." Li Hongzhang nodded and said, "If you are too late in everything, act diligently, and advance too quickly, not only will your previous achievements be ruined, but I am afraid that you will retreat further, and then it will be a catastrophe!" ”

"If only you understood." Zeng Guofan breathed a sigh of relief, "There are those who are in the way, go around, and when they come back to their senses, the wood will already be in the boat, but if you always come with them and consume this spirit in the infighting, not only will it be a big hindrance to this foreign affairs, but I am afraid that it will be difficult to protect yourself." ”

"Students remember the teachings of their teachers."

After a pause, Zeng Guofan asked again: "Shaoquan, Zhili is the first priority of diplomacy, what kind of attitude have you had in negotiations with foreigners for more than a year?" ”

Li Hongzhang thought for a while and said: "Students do not have a fixed attitude towards foreigners. The foreigners are cunning, and the students only play with them. ”

After Li Hongzhang finished speaking, his eyes looked at Zeng Guofan. Zeng Guofan stroked his beard with five fingers and was silent for a long time. After looking at Li Hongzhang for a long time, he said: "In my opinion, the word 'sincerity' is appropriate, and sincerity can move people." Foreigners are also people, Chinese can be sincere, how can foreigners be an exception? The saint is not wrong in saying that faithfulness is more feasible than barbarianism. We have no real power at the moment, and no matter how vain you try to pretend, he can see it clearly, and it is useless. It's better to be honest, see each other sincerely, be reasonable with him, although you can't take advantage of it, or you won't suffer too much. In any case, my integrity is always reliable. Down-to-earth, not too heavy, I want to be more reliable than the leather cavity, what do you think? ”

"Yes, yes." Li Hongzhang nodded, "In the future, students must follow the teachings of their teachers, meet foreigners sincerely, and be reasonable and reasonable." ”

On the edge of the bamboo forest, the master and apprentice were still chatting heartily. The western sky gradually turned from clear to crimson, and finally, the setting sun finally stubbornly broke through the clouds, and at the last moment when it was about to fall into the western mountain, revealing its fiery red corner, and the afterglow covered the yamen of the governor of Zhili with a layer of gold.

※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※

"Zeng Jize's Diary": "In the eleventh year of Tongzhi, on the fourth day of the second month (March 12, 1872), he took the ship "Surveying the Sea" with his relatives to Shanghai, and walked in the west flower garden in the afternoon. Only look at the remainder, take the suicide note and read it. After finishing the thoughts, tears flowed. He also pointed to the book, which contained three letters to friends, and after reading it, Fang Fu tucked it back to the study, sat upright for three moments, and passed away......"

※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※

Port of Marseille, France.

On the sea antenna in the distance, the figure of a three-masted battleship gradually became clear.

Unlike all the ships moored in the harbor, the top of this battleship was fluttering a red dragon flag.

Not long after, another battleship also with the dragon flag fluttering also appeared.

"It is the ship of the envoy of the Chinese emperor, send a signal!" A French naval officer on the sheltered weir watchtower lowered his binoculars and said.

The lookout gave a signal to the people to report the arrival of the "Weiyuan".

The news spread, and the shore was soon crowded with people watching the excitement. In Marseille, the arrival of a foreign ship is a major event, especially for a Chinese warship with a full displacement of 2,331 tons like the Weiyuan, which is particularly noticeable because it is the first visit of a Chinese warship.

The "Weiyuan" ship is approaching, and it has successfully passed through the straits created by several volcanic eruptions and is approaching the port. The ship sailed so steadily and swiftly that for the first time Chinese sailors were seen maneuvering the warship through the narrow corridors of the port of Marseille. They were agile and sharp-eyed, on par with the best sailors in Europe.

――――Dividing Line――――

Collect! Ask for recommendations!