"Huh?" Zuo Zongtang's body shook slightly, exempted from the Minister of Military Aircraft, and appointed as the Minister of the Qin Mission? And a declaration of war on France? Zuo Zongtang groaned slightly, and said to the governor of Hunan, "Futai is probably missing something." Pen? Interesting? Pavilion wWw. ｂiquge。 ｉｎfo”

These three things are a thunderbolt from the blue, Zuo Zongtang has long been ready to do it with the French, he came to Changsha, ostensibly to return home to sweep the tomb, but he and the Empress Dowager Cixi reached a tacit understanding, in the south, to avoid disputes between the court and China, to recuperate. These three things seem to be inexplicable, so Zuo Zongtang wanted to ask the governor if he had received any other orders, and sure enough, after a while, the telegram from the governor's yamen also arrived, and the governor spread out the fold and looked at it, and his face couldn't help but change drastically, "Beining is defeated, Xisheng is responsible for Prince Gong, and all the military aircraft are deposed!" Declare war on France today! ”

No wonder Zuo Zongtang will also be dismissed! But in the blink of an eye, Zuo Zongtang was appointed as the minister in charge of the military and political affairs of the eight provinces, needless to say, the governor of Huguang, who received the central edict in Wuchang, must have rushed over to this side non-stop. The governor of Hunan settled down and led the officials to attend the court together, "The lower officials see the minister of the Qincha." ”

"Get up." Zuo Zongtang was full of red light and full of spirit, "I thought about the New Year, so I went to the excerpts, listened to the flower drum opera at home, planted a few acres of fields, and lived a life of retirement, but I didn't expect that Xisheng wanted me to make another handful of old bones, thinking, why don't you invite Xisheng to invite another master?" I'm really not modest, but since Xisheng has made an order, then the center has decided to let me be the minister of the Imperial Mission. I don't have any other way, but I just thought that in the past, Lin Wenzhong was sent to serve in the Ili Army in Xinjiang, and I had a long conversation, and he read two poems to me on the spot, 'The life and death of the country is profitable, how can it be avoided because of misfortune', Lin Wenzhong is like this, and Xisheng is the same, the old man has nothing to say," Zuo Zongtang pressed his hand and asked the officials of Hunan Province to sit down, "The army is only afraid that there are still some days before it arrives, but I can't stay in this place anymore, I always have to clean up, and I set off for Qinzhou." ”

Qinzhou is close to Zhennanguan, which is a serious front line, it seems that Zuo Zongtang's mind is very firm, and he is personally preparing to go abroad with the respect of a commander. Zuo Zongtang looked around at everyone, "I am from Xiangyin, whether I am close or not, old folks." Naturally, everything must be followed by our Hunan folks first, before the five provinces of the regiment trained into Vietnam, there was no part of the children of Sanxiang, at that time I was unhappy in my heart, Zeng Wenzhenggong, Hu Wenxianggong, these are all good hands with troops, Sanxiang children fought in the south and the north, and made great contributions to the dynasty, where can not compare to those savages in Guangxi? It's just that if you are not in your position, you don't seek politics, it used to be someone else in charge of this matter, I am inconvenient to say, now it is the best, I am the minister of this Qincha, the first thing is to take out the elite soldiers of Sanxiang and use them, so that the big guy can see the real chapter. The big guy said, "How's that?" ”

"Naturally, it's a great idea," Changsha General Chang Si, who was dozing off when he was watching the play just now, jumped out, knelt on one knee, and clenched his fists with both hands, "Please give the order of the minister, the Changsha army must be brave first!" ”

With this Changsha general coming out, other people are naturally embarrassed not to keep up, not to mention, and the declaration of war with France, this is by no means comparable to any military exploits, plus now it is a war with a big country, if it wins in the future, I am afraid that it is a earned title, within three generations of food and clothing, even if it is to help transport, when an auxiliary army, it is far stronger than nesting in the province, the residence of the governor of Hunan is in Yuezhou, not in Changsha today, but in nature can not object, now Zuo Zongtang is a serious minister, not as before, home recuperation, For the sake of flattery in face, if you really ignore it, Zuo Zongtang can't do anything about these local officials, but now it's different, in charge of the military and political affairs of the eight provinces, if you don't obey, you will be picked up immediately! This is where Zuo Zongtang's confidence lies in the first Hunan soldiers, Zuo Zongtang nodded with satisfaction, "The gentlemen are so heroic, the official is very happy, in the end, the blood of the children of Sanxiang is still there, I will give you five days to pick out the best soldiers in Hunan to go to Vietnam with me, before the army of the twelve towns arrives, we must first stabilize the situation in Beiqi." ”

"Obey!"

"As the saying goes, before the soldiers and horses move, the grain and grass go first," Zuo Zongtang said slowly, everyone in the room listened attentively, and only Zuo Zongtang's voice remembered, "These three Hunan people are out, so how much silver must be out of a little, right?" Isn't it, Domain? ”

The political envoy quickly stood up, "The Hunan Domain naturally obeys the minister!" ”

"Very good," Zuo Zongtang praised, "Then how much silver is there in this domain?" ”

"Guan Pingyin is 500,000 taels."

"Huh?" Zuo Zongtang glanced at the political envoy and asked flatly, "Only 500,000?" ”

A few beads of sweat appeared on the forehead of the political envoy, "Six hundred and fifty thousand taels of silver, Lord Zhongtang," he knelt down, "Only six hundred and fifty thousand, one or two taels of silver, you kill my whole family!" ”

"What are you doing on your knees? Hurry up, although Hunan is a small province, it can have 650,000 taels of silver to support the front line, and the performance is enough. ”

"Lord Zhongtang, this money was poured out of Hunan Province," the governor of Hunan said stubbornly, "If you take it away, I'm afraid that if you take it all away, I'm afraid that you can't do anything here in Hunan Province." ”

The provinces will basically build official roads and build buildings and other large-scale fortifications to alleviate the displacement caused by famine and natural disasters sometimes, and it costs a lot of money to work for relief, and the rain this winter is less, but I am afraid that it will rain heavily in the spring, and in case of floods, this will cost a lot of money to go out, so the governor of Hunan naturally has no way but to mention it, and the political envoy does not deliberately want to intercept the 150,000 taels of silver here, but if the empty mice in the treasury, what should I do?

"You guys, you're still too young," Zuo Zongtang nodded at the governor of Hunan with his finger, "Do you think this silver was taken out for nothing?" Donated in vain? Naturally not, even if it is lent out, it will have to be repaid in the future, can I still pit my fellow countrymen? I don't want to be poked in the back. The silver is levied on the spot, and it will naturally be replenished in the future. ”

Saying this, it seems that the heads of a province are a little more relieved, Zuo Zongtang prepared 600,000 taels of silver for the army at once, and naturally he is also complacent, and a group of people feel that this beginning is not bad. It was only at this time that a telegram from the governor's yamen arrived again, conveying bad news.

Taiyuan fell. (To be continued.) )