Reading guide: The rulers of the Qing Dynasty**, from Beijing to the provinces, all civil and military officials have hollowed out their hearts to make silver and gold.

There is an honest official Wang Rui in Hunan, who favors money like dung, and fights day and night on the front line of investigating and overturning cases.

He acted as the governor of Hengyang County for half a year, and the people all fled their homes; He went to Baoqing Mansion to act as an administrator, and on the day he took office, he dismissed the grain ship hired by the government, and said to the shipowner: "No matter how much silver you make to buy off the errand officer, you will not want to pass this pass, sir!" ”

Peng Yulin surrounded a camp for Xiangyong with a fence, but Wang Rui, an honest official, personally led people to uproot all the fences and burn them down.

Xiang Yong stepped forward to stop him, he was furious, and even tied the two back to the county government and threw them into prison.

What an honest officer! What a clear as water, clear as a mirror Wang Zhi County!

When the news reached the provincial capital, Zeng Guofan got into a horse-drawn car and drove out of Changsha.

Knowing that Zeng Guofan was out of the city, Luo Bingzhang did not dare to slack off, and fought hard to catch up in the back......

What kind of letter did Luo Bingzhang receive that made him want to return to the city in such a hurry?

This mysterious letter was handed over by Hengyang County, the capital of Hengzhou.

Speaking of this Hengyang County, it takes some words.

Hengyang is the capital county of Hengzhou, and the county is the top of the six grades, surnamed Wang Mingrui, and is an old staff member brought from Guizhou when Luo Bingzhang first patrolled Hunan. Born in a list, he wrote a good hand, and followed Luo Bingzhang to copy the manuscript for a year. After Luo Bingzhang's years of protection, he was rewarded with the same state of Liupin. Soon after arriving in Hunan, he was put in Hengyang Acting Zhixian County. After Zhang Liangji inspected Hunan, he saw that this Wang Zhixian was unsatisfactory except for the good handwriting. Regardless of Luo Bingzhang's opposition, he forcibly transferred him to the provincial city as an alternate, and never got a decent errand again, which really made him miserable. It wasn't until Luo Bingzhang made his second tour of Hunan that he was released again. first acted for Shanhua County affairs, and then because of Zeng Guofan's secret protection, Li Hanzhang, the acting magistrate of Yiyang County, was transferred to Shanhua to raise food for Xiangyong, so he had to transfer to Hengyang County again.

Wang Ruiben did not have outstanding political achievements, he was not effective in raising food and funds, and he was also ineffective in organizing regimental training, but he was able to win Luo Bingzhang's trust. Although there are some old faces in it, the main point is that because Wang Rui is an official who is very honest, he can be honest to the point that there is no trace of wind in his sleeves except for his arms, and he is a very famous honest official in Hunan.

is this honest official, and the people do not have a good impression of him. Otherwise, no matter how tight Zhang Liangji is, he will not be transferred to the provincial capital as an alternate. Zhang Liangji was really forced by him to have no choice but to do this.

When he was acting as the magistrate of Hengyang County for the first time, at the beginning of his tenure, he turned over all the cases that had occurred in the county in the past two years and reviewed them one by one. As long as there is a trace of suspicion, people will immediately pass on the original, the two sued, the local land protection, and the left and right neighbors into the county. After the people arrived, no matter what time it was, they would immediately ascend to the court for trial.

These cases have all been tried by predecessors, and some have even been decided. He didn't care about that. After the first trial, he transferred to the second trial. If the second hall can't try the suspicious points he discovered, he still won't give up, and he will pass the defendant into the inner room alone, and ask the defendant with a pleasant face: "If you are tortured into a trick, master, I will immediately overturn the case for you!" ”

At first, the defendant was afraid that he would deceive, and even said: "No! ”

Later, when he saw that he was unrelenting, he had no choice but to follow him: "The former master accepted the plaintiff's money, so he sentenced the villain." This matter, in fact, lies with the villain. ”

So he took the defendant out to record a confession, and then summoned the plaintiff in, and still asked with a pleasant face, "How much money did you give to your ex?" According to the master, I think that if you want to win the lawsuit, it may also be due to the persecution of your predecessor. Otherwise, why should you give him the money you have worked so hard to earn? You just have to tell the truth, sir, I will be responsible for recovering the money you gave away! ”

Naturally, the plaintiff could not admit it, so he immediately went to court and let the officials drag the plaintiff over and beat him. It was so straight that the plaintiff cried and called his mother. Both the plaintiff and the defendant thought that he was an official who had gone crazy by making money, so they sent a message through the local security guard, and were willing to send a sum of money to settle the case. He is iron-faced, selfless, and incorruptible. Not only was the original and second accused, but even the local security who passed the word was also imprisoned by him. If he wanted to overturn the case, he turned it over accurately.

He was in Hengyang for half a year, and he was busy until midnight, and the people of Hengyang were also disturbed by him and fled everywhere. Especially his predecessor, who hated him several times and wanted to kill him with a stick.

After the things he did in Hengyang reached Luo Bingzhang's ears, Luo Bingzhang was very frightened, thinking that he had been poor for half his life and wanted to make a few pension money. Later, after a secret investigation, I found that he was not a person who loved money at all. It's just that I'm too suspicious, and I always suspect that others are not clean.

Luo Bingzhang was completely relieved and let him do it in Hengyang.

After Zhang Liangji patrolled Hunan, he could receive a petition from Hengyang every day. accumulated too much, Zhang Liangji had to send an alternate prefect and secretly went to Hengyang.

After the alternate prefect returned to the province, he reported the truth to Zhang Liangji, and Zhang Liangji immediately said: "How can such an official who disturbs the people be a parent!" ”

Zhang Liangji invited Xu Youren into the governor's yamen on the same day, and Xu Youren quickly listed the list and selected a capable person to act in Hengyang County.

Xu Youren hesitated and said: "Futai Rongyu, Wang Rui is the most famous capable member in Hunan!" Serious work, honest and honest, it is very rare! ”

Zhang Liangji said: "I have also heard of Wang Rui's reputation in the Ministry and Academy. He is commendable for being honest, but he can't act arbitrarily just because he is honest! Hengyang was disturbed by him, and even the neighboring counties were uneasy. As an official, it should benefit one party; It's okay if it can't benefit one party, but it shouldn't disturb the people of one side who can't live a stable life! Putting such a person to be a parent is not a trap for the people? Your brother will put up a list today, and hurry up and get him back to the provincial capital. A few days later, he was tired and tired, and the people were almost gone. ”

Xu Youren asked innocently: "Get Wang Rui back, what kind of errand do you always want to let him go?" He's a rare honest official in the Qing Dynasty! ”

Zhang Liangji said: "Such an honest official is still the best candidate." Your brother had better listen to the advice of the ministry and not let him out on an errand because he is incorruptible. He caused trouble for you, and you know how hateful this kind of person is! ”

But Xu Youren admires Wang Rui from the bottom of his heart.

Not long after Wang Rui returned to the province, it coincided with the vacancy of Baoqing Futong. Xu Youren's head was hot, and he didn't discuss it with Zhang Liangji, so he listed Wang Rui to act as the general judge of Baoqing Mansion first.

The general judgment of the government is mainly in charge of grain transportation, farmland and water conservancy. When Wang Rui arrived, it was the most intense period of the war in Hunan. The large and small ships under the Baoqing Mansion are busy transporting grain and troops to the provincial capital, and sometimes they are not enough, so the ships under the jurisdiction of the general judgment are also transferred to use.

When soldiers are employed, everything is dominated by war. On the day of Wang Rui's arrival, almost all the large and small ships under the jurisdiction of the general judgment were rushing to transport grain and grass to the provincial capital for the green camp. Due to the limited number of ships under its jurisdiction, five large ships that had been employing a local grain merchant have been rushing for more than ten days.

This Wang Rui is really rare, as soon as he arrived at the office, he didn't drink a sip of water, so he rushed to the dock with two subordinate officials. When he learned that it was a grain merchant's big ship that was transporting grain for the Yamen, Wang Rui immediately ordered the husband to unload the ship, and told the grain merchant who followed the ship: "No matter how much silver you make to buy off the errand man, you won't want to pass this pass, master!" Master, I am as clear as water and as bright as a mirror, not only Hunan knows, but even the imperial court knows! ”

When the grain merchant saw that it was him, he knew that he could no longer do business with the government. Nor did he speak softly to him, but watched as all the grain that had been loaded into the ship was unloaded.

When the ship was unloaded, he sent another errand officer to hire a new ship, but it was wartime, and there was no idle ship at all.

At that time, the imperial court transferred many officials and soldiers from other provinces to help defend Changsha, and the grain and grass did not dare to delay for a moment. However, a large amount of grain and grass raised by Baoqing Mansion was piled up as high as a mountain at the wharf. He still relied on the few broken ships under his jurisdiction to transport grain to the provincial capital in an orderly manner. Seeing that the food supply was not available, the commanders of all walks of life who came to Changsha to help defend the garrison angrily poured into the governor's yamen to make trouble. Zhang Liangji urgently sent Xu Youren to inquire about the reason. Xu Youren was shocked, and soon a subordinate official rode a fast horse to various mansions to investigate, but he didn't know that the problem was in Baoqing Mansion.

Xu Youren didn't dare to tell Zhang Liangji the truth, so he hurriedly sent an alternate state colleague to Baoqing in the starry night to receive the sentence and get him back to the provincial capital as an alternate. When Zhou Tong took office, he hired five large ships of grain merchants again, so that the grain and grass of the officers and men from all walks of life were connected, and there was no big trouble.

But Luo Bingzhang still couldn't appreciate him. believes that under the current situation, the officialdom is degenerate, and a good official like Wang Rui who is out of the mud and unstained must be reused in order for the country to be revitalized.

So, what kind of letter did Wang Rui send to Luo Bingzhang?

The question is Peng Yulin's body.

After Zeng Guobao led the Hengzi battalion to Hengyang and stationed in Hengyang, he occupied the defensive ground that Peng Yulin had originally left for Bao Chao. Peng Yulin knew that although Bao Chao was still in the provincial capital to help defend, he could pull out the camp at any time. In order to prepare for the rain, Peng Yulin selected an open space for Bao Chao overnight as a defensive ground. A fence was set up around it and two Xiangyong guards were dispatched.

After Wang Rui knew the news, he sent two officials to the scene to inspect it.

Wang Rui was extremely dissatisfied with Xiang Yong's coming to Hengyang to build ships and practice courage without the consent of the local government, and now he learned that Peng Yulin indiscriminately occupied open space and mountainous land, which made him tremble with anger.

At that time, it was the middle of the night, and the lights of thousands of homes were all extinguished, but he passed on a cadre of officials and personally led the team to the defensive place that Peng Yulin had just selected. Without saying anything, he drank the order to move, and in an instant, all the fences were pulled out, piled together, and a fire was burned. Xiang Yong stepped forward to stop him, he was furious, and even tied the two back to the county office, and threw them into prison without trial.

In order to prevent Zeng Guofan from complaining to Luo Bingzhang, he sent a famous history early in the morning to send a letter to Luo Bingzhang. In the letter, he did not say anything about Peng Yulin's selection of defensive land, but said that Xiangyong caused trouble for no reason, and disturbed everywhere under the banner of shipbuilding, and the people were extremely angry. If you don't punish severely, you can't settle the place.

Seeing that it was related to the group training, Luo Bingzhang became nervous.

After Bao Qibao and Qingde left the provincial capital, the defense of the provincial capital was mainly presided over by Taqib. And Taqib only listened to Zeng Guofan's words, and did not take him as a governor in his eyes at all. No matter what, he can't offend Zeng Guofan now; Especially after seeing the sailors, he realized that it was almost impossible to rely on the green battalion and the sailors alone to defend Changsha. If it is not guarded by soldiers, it is difficult for the provincial city to escape this catastrophe.

But at this point, Wang Rui was removed from office, and Luo Bingzhang was unwilling.

Luo Bingzhang was in a hurry to return to the city, just to send a fast horse to Hengyang as soon as possible, so that Wang Rui could let Xiang Yong go in the shortest possible time. Luo Bingzhang knew that Zeng Guofan, a member of the committee, was stationed in Hengzhou to try to build warships and test water bravery, and if he was unsuccessful, he naturally had nothing to say, and once he succeeded, Zeng Guofan might not just be an insignificant position as a minister of regimental training.

In times of turmoil, as long as you have soldiers and courage in your hands, you can agree to whatever you want; Even if you don't want too much, the top will shoehorn it into you. Jiang Zhongyuan, who was born in the first list, is the best example.

This is also the reason why Luo Bingzhang, who is the governor of a province, also recruits brave men alone.

But Luo Bingzhang was still one step late.

When the fast horse of the governor's yamen had not yet left the city, Zeng Guofan, surrounded by his own soldiers, was already sitting in a three-horse sedan and flying towards Hengzhou.

Luo Bingzhang did not dare to slack off when he received the report, and hurriedly ordered people to arrange carriages and horses, and soon drove out of the city with his own soldiers. (End of chapter)