Reading guide: Zeng Guofan personally called the door, the soldiers ignored it, and Li Chendian was almost mad.

When he went to stay at the farmhouse, Zeng Guofan did not show his true face, but he was still seen through.

Zhuang Huren's words stunned Zeng Guofan.

Zeng Guofan never expected that the things that Xiang Yong handled during his time in Yueyang would be completely denied by the government!

Li Chendian had no choice but to walk to the car and ask Zeng Guofan for instructions.

Zeng Guofan lifted the curtain and asked, "Chendian, why haven't you opened the city gate yet?" What are the defenders talking to you? ”

Li Chendian replied angrily: "My lord, what a ghost!" They don't open the city gates, and they ask us to sign the governor's yamen! ”

"Oh?" Zeng Guofan nodded, pondered for a moment and said, "Chendian, you help me down." I went and told them personally. Now is a special period, and it is beneficial for the provincial capital to be cautious. ”

Li Chendian hurriedly helped Zeng Guofan out of the car.

Zeng Guofan let out a breath of air, and walked closer to the city gate, and Li Chendian followed closely with his own soldiers.

Zeng Guofan said to the tall city gate: "Little brother, this minister went to the counties to inspect the defense, and it was too late to come back. I beg you to open the gates and let us in. The Minister still has business to do. ”

There was silence inside, and no one answered.

Li Chendian was furious, picked up his fist and smashed the door, and said as he smashed: "Open the door quickly!" If you miss Lord Zeng's official business, you can't afford to be guilty! ”

The door was slammed, but there was no movement inside.

Zeng Guofan motioned for Li Chendian to stop slamming the door, frowned and thought for a while: "Chendian, is there an inn outside the city?" ”

Li Chendian said with a bitter face: "My lord, even if there is an inn around here, I don't dare to let you live in old age!" There are people in the green camp everywhere outside the city, and there must be a good one, and my master must smash my head! ”

A pro-soldier said at this time: "My lord, I have a distant aunt here, who originally lived in Yueyang, and recently moved here, and lives in the countryside twenty miles away from the provincial capital. I often went to see my aunt and uncle. If you don't like it, let's go to her house and spend the night. ”

Zeng Guofan said as he got into the car: "Okay, according to what you said, we will disturb her tonight." But you can't mention my name. If she wants to ask, you will say that it is the master invited by the governor's yamen. Ministers, give them my word. In the middle of the night, we can't be careless. ”

Sitting in the car, Zeng Guofan suddenly felt a chill that rose from the soles of his feet to the top of his head. This inexplicable chill threw him from hope to despair all of a sudden.

Zeng Guofan was a little disheartened.

As a dignified courtier, the second-rank servant was blocked out of the door by an ordinary soldier guarding the city gate! Who can believe this kind of thing? Surely no one believes it! But this kind of thing that shouldn't have happened happened in real time!

The more Zeng Guofan thought about it, the more sad he became, not for himself, but for the entire Qing Dynasty!

Two lines of cold tears slipped out of the corners of Zeng Guofan's eyes unconsciously.

The car had stopped at the door of a house in the countryside, and Zeng Guofan was still immersed in his sadness.

The soldiers ran over and smashed the door first. After the door opened, the soldiers whispered something to the old man who opened the door. The old man then opened the gate and let the carriage into the courtyard.

Zeng Guofan was politely allowed by the old man to enter the hall and sit down, and personally poured a bowl of hot water in front of Zeng Guofan.

Zeng Guofan got up, bowed deeply to the old man and said, "Old man, we stayed late at night, and there were many disturbances, so I won't apologize to your old man!" ”

The old man raised the lamp and looked at Zeng Guofan, and suddenly pulled his soldiers to the side and said, "Dog baby, you tell the truth, who is he?" ”

The pro-soldier, who was called the dog baby, hurriedly said: "Uncle, he is the master who has just been invited by the governor's yamen." I've said it again, why don't you believe it? ”

The old man slapped him and scolded, "Good dog!" After a few days, you've learned to lie! He is clearly the minister of the provincial capital regiment training, Lord Zeng, you are still hard-mouthed! You tell you the truth, is he Lord Zeng or not? ”

The dog baby covered half of his face and said: "He is the master, how can he become what Lord Zeng has become in your old eyes!" It's just that the face is somewhat the same. Go and rest. In the morning, we have to go into the city. ”

The old man didn't say anything, he raised the lamp and came to Zeng Guofan again, looked at Zeng Guofan again, and suddenly put down the lamp and said: "Little Lao'er is definitely not dazzling, you are really Lord Zeng!" How to pretend to be a master to fool the little old man? ”

As the old man spoke, his legs were already limp and he knelt down and kowtowed to Zeng Guofan.

Zeng Guofan hurriedly got up and pulled the old man, and said, "Old man, get up quickly." You've mistaken the right person. How could Mr. Zeng of the Issuance Examination Bureau come to stay outside the city in the middle of the night? ”

The old man got up and said helplessly: "Little Lao'er, I really hope you are Lord Zeng!" ”

Zeng Guofan said with a smile: "The old man should go inside and rest." If you don't see Master Zeng just now, you must say hello to him on your behalf. ”

The old man picked up the lamp and said as he walked: "Lord Zeng is a good official! Li Laohu of the Green Battalion, how many people have been injured, Lord Zeng cut him down with a knife! ”

The old man suddenly stopped, turned to Zeng Guofan and said, "If you really want to see Lord Zeng, just tell him, let him save the people of Yueyang again!" The people of Yueyang can't survive now! ”

Zeng Guofan was stunned for a moment and said, "Old man, what's wrong with Yueyang?" Can you elaborate on that? Even if you can't see Master Zeng, you can always see Futai every day? I have big and small things in Hunan, is there anything that Futai can't ask about? ”

The old man said: "If you don't get sleepy, the little old man will talk to you about Yueyang." ”

Zeng Guofan said to the dog baby: "You go to the outhouse to sleep, you don't have to serve here." ”

The dog baby saluted and withdrew.

Zeng Guofan said: "Old man, please sit down and talk." Turn off the lights, we don't need to light them when we talk. ”

The old man sat down, blew out the lamp on the ground, and said, "There are no outsiders in this room, you tell the truth to the little old man, are you Lord Zeng?" Just by the fact that you asked me to blow the lamp just now, you must be Lord Zeng! How many of the current lords are distressed by the people? But once the adults felt sorry for the people! ”

Zeng Guofan said: "Old man, you should tell me about Yueyang." ”

The old man said, "How is it?" You admit to being Zeng-sama, right? Xiao Lao'er lived for sixty years, and he can't do anything else, if he wants to recognize people, he is to recognize one and one accurately, and he has never missed his eyes! Lord Zeng, why don't you go into the city to rest in the middle of the night? It can't be a private interview, right? ”

Zeng Guofan smiled bitterly and said: "I'm a person who runs a group practice, what can be my turn to go on a private visit?" ,,I went to Hengzhou to inspect the defense, and I came back late, so I didn't call to open the city gate. Old man, what happened to Yue Yang? Why haven't I heard about it? ”

The old man said: "Master Zeng, if the light is blind, the little old man will not kowtow to you." You can't blame the little old man for not knowing the rules. ”

Zeng Guofan smiled and said, "Old man, let's talk about Yueyang." ”

The old man said: "Lord Zeng, there is one thing that the little old man wants to ask clearly: the Issuance and Examination Bureau was stationed in Yueyang and put a lot of land to rent to the people. You know that, right? ”

Zeng Guofan nodded and said, "I know about this." Before handling this matter, Lord Luo told me about it, and he also submitted it to the governor's yamen. The governor's yamen agreed. ”

The old man said: "Lord Zeng, the people rent the land of the Seed Development and Examination Bureau, and they will be exempted from receiving grain for three years. You know that, right? ”

Zeng Guofan said: "Of course I know. ”

The old man said: "It's only been less than two years, and the grain and land are not only penniless, but also ask the people to make up for what they were exempted from back then!" Lord Zeng, is the Issuance Examination Bureau an official government? How to issue the rules and regulations set by the Examination Bureau, and the county yamen does not recognize them? Lord Zeng, the little old man said something that offended you: You people who eat imperial food and food can't treat the people as monkeys! We, the ordinary people who dig out the soil to eat, have a hard time surviving! ”

After the old man finished speaking, he suddenly turned over and knelt at Zeng Guofan's feet, slamming his head and kowtowing. (End of chapter)