On the afternoon of the second day after Zeng Linshu silently prayed, a passenger ship from Chenglingji was docked under Yueyang Tower.
The master and servant sitting in the cabin said,"Sir, the ship has arrived at Yuezhou City. We'll stop here today and set sail tomorrow morning. now
It's still early. Do you want to go ashore to relax?”
The master in the cabin nodded and walked out of the cabin. He stepped onto the gangplank and went ashore. The servant followed closely behind. walking in
The owner in front was about forty-one or forty-two years old. He was of medium build, with broad shoulders and a thick back. He wore a black chiffon scarf and had a wide forehead.
There were a few deep wrinkles on his face. His face was long and thin. Under his thick eyebrows were two long, triangular eyes.
It shot out two sharp and cold rays of light. Its nose was straight and slightly flat. Its wings were long and deep. Its mouth was wide and thin. It had a long beard and a thick beard.
Dense and slightly yellow, it was blown by the lake wind and floated in front of his chest. He was wearing a black robe with a hemp rope tied around his waist.
White cloth socks, a pair of new hemp shoes, with slow and steady steps, along the stone steps up. This person was Zeng Lin.
The eldest son of the book was anxious to return. In the early days, he was still an official in the right assistant minister of the Ministry of Rites and the left assistant minister of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, Zeng Guofan. More than a month ago, Zeng Country
Fan was ordered to leave the capital to Jiangxi and serve as the chief examiner of Jiangxi provincial examination. Arriving at Xiaochi Posthouse in Taihe, Anhui Province, he suddenly received news of his mother's death from Jiang Gui.
He immediately changed his route and went home. He quickly traveled from Jiangxi to Hubei, and then from Hubei to Hunan yesterday. The servant following behind
His name was Wang Jingqi. He was nearly thirty years old and was born with a clever spirit.
"My lord." Wang Jingqi called out softly.
"I forgot again!" Zeng Guofan interrupted him sternly,"I'm no longer a minister, but a minister who has returned to his hometown."
Min, do you understand?"
"Yes, sir!" Jing Qi was terrified and quickly changed his words." Master, Yue Yang Tower is in front. You should go up and eat something!"
You haven't had a proper meal these past few days.”
Zeng Guofan didn't say anything, only nodding his head lightly. Ever since he saw Jiang Gui, Zeng Guofan was in extreme grief.
In the middle. After the boat entered Dongting Lake yesterday, his mood began to calm down. But when he raised his head and looked at the so-called "World Tower" in front of him,
At Yue Yang Tower, he couldn't help but frown. The last time he traveled was in the early winter of the 19th year of Daoguang. Yue Yang Tower at that time, what was it like?
It was magnificent and extraordinary! Climbing the tower to tour, the wine hall was hung high with Fan Zhongyan's "Yueyang Tower", which had been passed down through the ages.
It was the misty and vast Dongting Lake, which was eight hundred miles long. The twenty-nine-year-old Hanlin Zeng Guofan, who had left the pavilion and entered the capital, repeatedly recited,"The worries of the world are first."
He was full of pride and ambition. In this life, I must follow the example of Fan Wenzheng and do something.
A grand undertaking that would go down in history! The paint on the Yueyang Tower was peeling off, and grass was growing on the eaves. It was dim and there were few guests.
It was not as prosperous as it used to be. Zeng Guofan felt strange. He thought to himself, perhaps it was because his mood today was very different.
It was earlier!
Zeng Guofan went up to the second floor and sat down on a clean seat near the lake. Jing Qi sat opposite him. As soon as they sat down, the bartender was full
He came over with a smile and asked politely while wiping the table,"Sir, what would you like?" Without waiting for an answer, he continued
He said," There are freshly slaughtered cattle in the small building, live carps that have just come out of the lake, golden turtles from Junshan, turtles from Luoshan, and
The extremely strong and fragrant 'Immortal Lu Drunk'. When Li Taibai drank this wine, he wrote a poem praising it in the small building: 'Baling is infinitely good, drunk to kill Dongting Lake
Cho..." The bartender was talking non-stop happily when Jing Qi waved his hand impatiently."What are you talking about? see
Look at this." After saying that, he raised the hemp rope tied to his waist.
When the bartender saw this, he immediately stopped smiling."I don't know.”Then, he said," You don't eat meat.
Xiaolou also had good vegetarian dishes: dried beancurd from Hengshan Mountain, bundled chicken from Changde, Yulan slices from Xiangxi, golden needle from Baoqing, white fungus from Guzhang, and Hengshan.
The lotus flowers of the prefecture and the mushrooms of Mount Jiuyi.”
Zeng Guofan felt very comfortable listening to these dishes. Having lived in Beijing for more than ten years, he often thought of the local products of his hometown. He's got a thing for the bartender
He said,"Pick up four plates of fresh and tender stir-fry, and then make a catty of water and wine."”
"Alright!" The bartender agreed loudly and went downstairs excitedly. Soon, four large plates were served, one plate was braised with white onions and beans, and the other plate was cooked with soy sauce.
A plate of red pepper stir-fried slices of jade, a plate of shredded water melon and bundled chicken strips, a plate of newly released baby vegetables, and a plate of golden needle fungus mushrooms.
Soup. Red, white, green, fragrant, and spicy dishes were placed on the table. Zeng Guofan drank the wine and ate the vegetables sweetly. finished
The bartender brought over two bowls of sparkling rice. Zeng Guofan ate it with relish. Not only these days, he seemed to feel that he was
Ever since he left Hunan, he had never eaten such good food. "My hometown is still the best!" Zeng Guofan put down his chopsticks.
he said emotionally. As soon as he put down the bowl, the bartender eagerly brought over two bowls of steaming tea and said,"It seems that you have come from afar.
To tell you the truth, this tea was brewed with authentic Junshan Maojian tea.”Seeing Zeng Guofan looking at him with a smile, the bartender was proud.
"You may not know, but there are five 300-year-old tea trees on Mount Jun. One of them was a tribute tea for the emperor, two on the left and right.
It was a gift from the Futai Lord and the magistrate to their relatives and friends. The second tree on the left is for the tea farm owner's private use.
It was booked by Xiao Lou for generations. I'm not bragging, but this bowl of tea is probably not even worth a hundred wen in the capital.
After each guest finished their meal, they were given a bowl of authentic Junshan tea.”The bartender said as he cleaned up the dishes and wiped the table.
He went downstairs.
Zeng Guofan took a sip of tea. Although it was not as good as the Maojian tea bought in the capital, it was indeed refreshing. he didn't think
However, the dilapidated Yue Yang Tower had such good food and a eloquent bartender. He felt much better. He picked up his teacup and said,
He looked out of the window at the lake. The sunlight shone on the lake, creating specks of golden light. In the distance, white sails were cruising. As far as the eye can see, there is
A faint black shadow. Zeng Guofan knew that it was Junshan. Nearby, wooden rafts were moored along the shore. these wooden
Most of the wood came from the mountainous area of southern Hunan. After being tied up in a row, it drifted along the Xiangjiang River, crossed Dongting Lake, entered the Yangtze River, and then drifted far away to Wuchang and Jiang.
Ning, Shanghai and other places. The person who played was called Pai Ke. The row of guests floated on the water all year round and settled their homes on the row. Rows of cedar trees
The skin was used to build a small shed, and the family lived inside. Zeng Guofan was looking at the lives of the people downstairs with interest. Unexpectedly,
The wind suddenly blew over the lake, and dark clouds rolled in the sky, as if it was going to rain. The surface of the lake, which was as calm as a mirror, suddenly rippled.
Flipping. The wind was getting stronger, and the waves were getting higher and higher. The wooden rafts on the lake rose and fell with the waves. A few of them were not far from the shore.
The wooden raft was rapidly approaching the lakeside. The rain poured down, the wind blew, and the gentle Dongting Lake instantly turned into a violent river.
Evil Dragon. Zeng Guofan sat upstairs, feeling a chill run down his spine. He was a little worried that this thousand-year-old building would be destroyed by this explosion.
Beaten down by the wind and rain?
Just as he was letting his imagination run wild, he saw a small row swaying left and right from the wind and waves on the lake about a thousand feet away from the shore.
He shook, but he couldn't take a single step forward. One of the men held onto the tiller tightly while the other ran around anxiously. Meng
A huge wave hit the ground, and the low cedar bark house on the raft collapsed. A wooden box was washed into the lake. The men running on both sides jump
He jumped into the water to grab the wooden box. A little girl in her teens was squatting on the raft in fear, clutching a rope tightly. a
The woman in her forties was so anxious that she ran back and forth in the platoon. Another huge wave came, and the little girl was swept into the lake. "No
It's time!" Zeng Guofan shouted, put down his teacup, and stood up abruptly. Jing Qi also stood up quickly and leaned against the window nervously. positive
At this critical moment, a young man jumped off the raft by the lake and swam into the lake in the rain. The young man suddenly jumped
When he reached the bottom of the water, he popped his head out again just as he reached the edge of the row. He swam nimbly to the little girl, who was clutching at her hands and feet, and lifted her high out of the water.
Face, swim to the edge of the row. Zeng Guofan heaved a sigh of relief. The young man got on the raft and pointed at the men in the row.
He brought over a large bundle of thick rope. The young man took the rope and walked to the front of the row. He tied one end of the rope to the row and the other end to his waist.
He jumped into the lake and used his own strength to pull the boat in front of him. The wooden raft actually followed the young man forward.
Everyone cheered. Zeng Guofan was stunned by the scene in front of him. The raft slowly moved to the shore and arrived at the foot of Yue Yang Tower safely.
Down. The two men in the queue came up to the shore and supported the young man, bowing their heads.
Zeng Guofan was deeply moved by the young man's heroic character and rare divine power. He said to Jing Qi,""Go and invite that person
Come here, I want to see him."
After a while, Jing Qi brought someone over. Zeng Guofan saw that the person was wearing a set of coarse clothes and a black cloth wrapped around his head.
He had a square face, thick black eyebrows, big and spirited eyes, a straight nose bridge, and plump cheeks. He was very happy. He stood up and stretched.
He pointed at the seat opposite him and said,"Please sit, warrior!"”
"I don't know Old Master, so how dare I be presumptuous?”
"Hero, your action of saving people just now is the action of a hero. You're welcome, sit down
It's good to talk."
After the young man sat down, Zeng Guofan instructed Jing Qi,"Ask the bartender to quickly bring a few plates of meat dishes and a pound of Immortal Lu's Drunk.
He also served a plate of vegetables and half a catty of wine.”
After a while, the bartender came with wine and food. Zeng Guofan asked Jing Qi to pour a full glass of wine for the guest, then raised his own glass.
He said,"Because of my filial piety, I can't use strong wine or meat. I'll borrow this water wine and vegetable dishes to accompany the warrior to drink a few cups."”
The young man was not modest and downed the wine in his glass.
"Good! A strong man is truly a heroic man." Zeng Guofan asked Jing Qi to sift the wine and asked,"May I know your name, warrior? Where are you from?
The surname? How young?"
"My name is Yang Zai Fu, also known as Hou 'an. I'm from Changsha County, and I'm 30 years old this year.”
Zeng Guofan nodded repeatedly. Without waiting for Yang Zaifu to ask, he reported his name and said,"I am an official in Wuchang, teaching a young master.
My mother passed away last month. I'm going back to Xiangxiang to take care of her funeral.”
"So you're a well-learned gentleman.”Yang Zaifu stood up and bowed again.
Zeng Guofan quickly asked him to sit down and advised him to drink a glass of wine.
"Hero Yang sacrificed himself to save others. He has noble moral character and great strength. This humble one has never seen a second person. Hero, please accept my invitation.
I am very grateful. May I ask, warrior, how did you cultivate such shen power?”
"Thank you for your praise, sir.”Yang Zaifu put down his chopsticks and cup and replied respectfully," Zai Fusheng is putting on a show."
His father had been running a business all his life, but because of his generous nature, the family did not leave behind any savings. When Zaifu was a child, my father hired a
Teacher taught me to read and write. However, Zaifu did not make progress. What he loved was riding horses and shooting arrows. My father thought of the long list
I might as well give up literature for martial arts, so I invited the martial arts masters from the north and south to teach me martial arts. I am at the hands of my masters
Under his guidance, he had made some progress. At the age of eighteen, he had started to wander the martial world with his father. He had seen some of the world and met many bandit heroes. year before
When my father died, I set up my own platoon.”
Zeng Guofan listened to Yang Zaifu's speech while carefully observing him. His eyes were black and shining, just as the fortune teller said.
"Black as paint, shining with light, the appearance of wealth.”There was a big black mole above his left eyebrow, which was also in accordance with what was written in the physiognomy book,"The Lord is middle-aged."
Later riches." Zeng Guofan did not fully believe the physiognomist's letter. He liked reading people's faces.
On the one hand, he used the appearance of others to infer the words in the physiognomy book. On the other hand, he valued this person's spirit, complexion, and speech.
Stop, especially pay attention to the person's behavior. Combining the two aspects to judge a person's good or bad luck. This Yang Zaifu in front of him…
With his many years of experience and physiognomy, both aspects indicated a great future, but unfortunately, it was buried in the mortal world.
There was no chance for him to stand out. He should be taught. After Yang Zaifu finished speaking, Zeng Guofan asked,"Now that the war has begun, the country is
What he wanted was a talent like a strong man. I wonder if a strong man is willing to abandon his profession and join the army?”
Yang Zaifu replied,"My father told me this when I was young. After learning civil and military skills, he sold them to the emperor's family. I often think, if this
His ability could be appreciated by those in power and serve the country. In the future, he could obtain an official position and comfort his father's soul in heaven.”
Good! Ambition!" Zeng Guofan said happily,"I have met the governor of Hunan once. I will write a letter of recommendation for you.
Are you willing to go to Changsha to seek refuge with Lord Luo?"
"I'm willing!" Yang Zaifu stood up and answered readily," Even though Long Hair is besieging Changsha, everyone says that Long Hair is fierce.
But Zaifu didn't believe me. I had to enter Changsha under the artillery fire.”
Jing Qi borrowed a pen and paper from the bartender. Zeng Guofan wrote a few words, sealed it in an envelope, and handed it to Yang Zaifu. Yang Zaifu solemnly said
He took the letter and hid it in his pocket. Then he bowed to Zeng Guofan."Greetings, old mister. If there is in this life
He would definitely not forget the old man's great kindness when he stood out. Zaifu went to the queue to take care of it, and he would go to the magistrate in three to five days.
Sha defected to Lord Luo."
After saying that, he raised his head and went downstairs. Zeng Guofan ordered Jing Qi to meet the bartender and then left Yue Yang Tower.
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