Zuo Zongtang recovered the territory of Xinjiang except for IliThe class teacher returned to the court, as if injecting a powerful booster into the late Qing Dynasty, which was difficult to return. Such greed for heaven is gone in the historical period when the late Qing Dynasty was ravaged by foreign powersThe power is highconcerns. The good news was transmitted back to the imperial court, Even Cixi couldn't help but stretch her tightly locked eyebrows when she heard this, and a long-lost joy rose on her face.
At that time, Zuo Zongtang was already over the age of six, although he was still in good spirits, he also lost the physique of his former youth. But Zuo Zongtang was still worried, and if Yili was not included in the territory for a day, he would have trouble sleeping. For this reason, Zuo Zongtang, who was already old, continued to run for Ili and negotiated with Tsarist Russiasighed all night, but resolutely refused to back down half a step.
Zuo Zongtang actively prepared for war, grasped the army with one hand, and the supply with the other, built water conservancy, reclaimed farmland, enriched the people and strengthened the army, and it was inevitable to win Yili. When Tsarist Russia heard the news, he was very flusteredUrgently transfer the army to increase the troops in Ili, and mobilized the fleet to cruise the sea, putting on a posture of wanting to fight Zuo Zongtang for life and death.
However, Zuo Zongtang is old, but his heart to recover Ili is extremely firm, even if Tianjin, Shandong, and Fengtian are all threatened by the Tsarist Russian navy, they still do not retreat. When the two armies were holding each other, Zuo Zongtang suddenly returned to BeijingSuch a move made Tsarist Russia tremble, worried that the Qing court had made up its mind to summon Zuo Zongtang back to Beijing to discuss the matter of all-out war.
The Qing court was certainly rotten, and Tsarist Russia was strong, but Tsarist Russia at that timeThere are many concernsTsarist Russia, which had just ended the Russo-Turkish War, was really unwilling to start a full-scale war with the Qing court at this time. All the previous things were all deterrent moves by Tsarist Russia's foreign strength, intended to scare off the Qing soldiers, but they encountered Zuo Zongtang, who was extremely determinedSo that the ruse of Tsarist Russia did not succeed.
It is not so much that Zuo Zongtang is close to a demon, it is better to say Zuo ZongtangIts ambition is like goldIf it weren't for his efforts in the Qing court to resist public opinion and insist on his own opinions, perhaps this Ili, and even the whole of Xinjiang, would have been given to Tsarist Russia, and there would be no time to regain the territory. Although limited to the treaty, in the end, Ili returned with regrets, leaving Zuo Zongtang behind"Words are rotten".of regrets.
However, the overall situation in the northwest has been decided, and Zuo Zongtang should take the first credit, which is by no means controversial. But Zuo Zongtang was already old at this time and had an honor**Houlu, gold and silver are all floating clouds, Cixi wanted to show her favor, but she didn't know what to do for a while.
In the end, Cixi set her sights on the maidservant Zhang Yi beside her and ordered her to be given to Zuo Zongtang as a concubine. Zhang Yi is young and beautiful, she is Cixi's personal palace maid, and her identity is special. Cixi's move is an expression of special favor to Zuo Zongtang, and Zuo Zongtang naturally can't refuseOn a quiet night, the first conversation began with this young woman whom he had never met.
Zuo Zongtang can't be called a smart person, he is even a little stubborn, even more so when he was youngDepressed.
Zuo Zongtang is a native of Hunan, and he has already shown intelligence beyond ordinary people when he was a teenager"Brilliant by nature, less ambitious".
Zuo Zongtang's wedding night is not about wind and snow, nor is it "a moment of spring night is worth a thousand gold". In his newlywed room, he wrote a couplet to express his ambitions:
There is no half an acre in my heart, I am worried about the world, I have read through 10,000 volumes, and I have handed over to the ancients.In fact, Zuo Zongtang did not brag, he was well-read all his life, and won the second place in the Changsha Mansion exam. It's just that because his parents were seriously ill and died one after another, Ding Wei was at home, so he was delayed for some time and failed to participate in the scientific expedition in time. But Zuo Zongtang had already become famous at that time, even if He Changling met Zuo Zongtang when he was young, it was also true"Treat the country as a soldier".Finish.
Unfortunately, Zuo Zongtang's road to the imperial examination was not smooth, although he was able to pass the examination as he wished at first, but then he failed to take the three consecutive examinations. Such a result hit Zuo Zongtang very hard, after all, he became famous at a young age, had great ambitions, and was recognized by the ministers of the dynasty and a number of literati and celebrities, butI have never been able to get the Jinshi exam.
Since then, Zuo Zongtang has continued to devote himself to research, especially in the aspects of governance, financial management, and military conquest, and is also very insightful about the current national situation. In fact, Zuo Zongtang also achieved a good result of the fifteenth place in Hunan Province in the later examination, but he was won because of the "excess", and he was only taken"Transcription".
Perhaps, if someone else treats such a situation, they will choose to forbear. But Zuo Zongtang'shas a straightforward personality, naturally unwilling to be aggrieved, and decisively chooses to abandon his job and return to his hometown.
Zuo Zongtang was not only like this when he was young, but even if he became an official in the future, he still maintained such a posture when the ministers groveled in the face of foreigners, which provoked the British consul Jia Lu to sue the court angrily, but because of Zuo Zongtang's affairsJustified, saying that the "consul" level is not eligible to use the "note".made Jia Lu disgraced.
Afterwards, Zuo Zongtang explained his intentions to Cixi, and he did not act rashly, but was worried that his step by step retreat would fuel the arrogance of Jia Lu and his ilk.
"The more humble I am, the more hyperactive he becomes; The more I bow down, the more he looks up, and there is no bottom. βAfter Zuo Zongtang returned to his hometown, with the full support of his wife, he continued to study and consolidate his knowledge. Facts have proved that Zuo Zongtang was right to do solaid the groundwork for his future encounter with Lin Zexu. In 1848, Hu Linyi recommended Zuo Zongtang to Lin Zexu, but Lin Zexu was delayed due to something and failed to meet Zuo Zongtang this year. Two years later, Lin Zexu returned to his hometown and finally had the opportunity to meet Zuo ZongtangThe two boated on the lake and talked all night. Zuo Zongtang's unique insights made Lin Zexu praise afterwards and called Zuo Zongtang a man"Genius of the Ages".
Zuo Zongtang has devoted himself to research for many years and knows the pros and cons of the Qing court, which is the basis for Zuo Zongtang to have a long talk with Lin Zexu. At the same time, Zuo Zongtang met Lin Zexu this time, although it was the first time they met, but he and Lin Zexu have been friends for a long time, and they admired Lin Zexu very much, and when they were studying to improve the status quo of the Qing court, they coincided with Lin Zexu and produced the same"Master Yi long skills to control Yi".thoughts.
At that time, Zuo Zongtang was 37 years old, and Lin Zexu and Zuo Zongtang were in this Xiangjiang night talk"Banquets and conversations reach the dawn, and everything is all-encompassing"., at Zuo Zongtang's age, he can answer each other with Lin Zexu, making Lin ZexuAmazing, to the cloth in front of him, "fell at first sight". And Zuo Zongtang was also impressed by the 65-year-old senior in front of himAstonishing, the two met late.
This meeting was their first meeting and the only meeting in their lives. Xiangjiang night talk, as if it is the inheritance of the old and the new, Lin Zexu passed on his experience to Zuo Zongtang, and handed over the information about the northwest that he had compiled to Zuo Zongtangpinned his hopes for a strong country and a prosperous people to Zuo Zongtang all his life.
And what about Zuo Zongtang? lived up to expectations, carried the expectations of the country and the nation, and then sat on the curtain, Xijing Shaanxi and Gansu, recovered Xinjiang, and became an important minister in the late Qing Dynasty. In the twilight of the Qing court, the appearance of Zuo Zongtang gave Cixi too much joy and comfort, how could she not appreciate it? The personal maid Zhang Yi was given to Zuo Zongtang, who was too oldThis is a great reward.
However, Zuo Zongtang was upright in his life, and he loved the people even more, and he was rewarded by Cixi with the honor of being a personal maidservant, which made others proud, but he was worried. Cixi's reward is important, but Zhang Yi is just a young girlMarrying an old man like herself really ruined her youth.
Zhang Yi is beautiful and young, although he has heard of Zuo Zongtang for a long timeWise and powerful, but the first time I saw 70-year-old Zuo Zongtang, it was still a little difficult to deal with herself, and the love she longed for was definitely not so. It's just fate that she, a maidservant, has no choice in such a wavecan only accept fate.
At this time, Zuo Zongtang expressed his heart and was unwilling to let Zhang Yi sacrifice his youth. He said to Zhang Yi that after a few days, the Empress Dowager Cixi would forget about it and send her out of her mansionGive her back her freedomγIn a word, Zhang Yi was stunned, maybe she had thought about such a situation, but she couldn't believe that it would really happen.
It wasn't until this moment that Zhang Yi finally understood that she had heard too many deeds related to Zuo Zongtang before, but it wasn't until this moment that she really knew Zuo Zongtang, and everyone praised Zuo Zongtang againBut he still underestimated him.
Mr. Lu Xun once said such a sentence"I want to show Liu Bei's strength and hypocrisy, and Zhuge is wise and close to a demon. βThe saying that "its wisdom is close to the demon" has become popular, and many wise people have been described like this, Zuo Zongtang is such a personHe was called a "near demon" by later generations and a heavy minister of the late Qing Dynasty.
There is no doubt that Zuo Zongtang has great wisdom, but Zuo Zongtang has taken a lonely road, which is completely different from Zhuge Liang's "dedication and death". But because of this, it is called Zuo Zongtang near the demonIt seems too inappropriateAfter all, the word "demon" has some derogatory connotations in Chinese culture, and putting this word on Zuo Zongtang, a person who was unique in the late Qing Dynasty, is less awe-inspiring.