The middle-aged man, who was referred to by Luo Bingzhang as "Ji Gao," had the surname Zuǒ and the given name Zongtáng. He was known by the pseudonym Jīnliàng, and he was one of the three great figures of the late Qing Dynasty!
Zuo Zongtang, now a scholar, seemed unlikely to become a successful candidate in the imperial examination. However, he had mastered the skills of a pragmatic scholar and was particularly adept in military strategy. This is why he styled himself "Jīnliàng," referring to the contemporary Zhuge Liang. In addition, he had won the favor of Lin Zexu's loyal public and was a notable scholar in Hunan Province today. Several senior officials recommended him for official positions, but unfortunately, there was a tyrannical emperor ruling the country.
So Zuo Zongtang often sighed in his heart: I have the "Jīnliàng," but where is the "Jīnbeì"?
Luo Bingzhang certainly was not the "Jīnbeì" that Zuo Zongtang had in mind. After the death of Lin Zexu, who was the most admired by him, Zuo Zongtang really couldn't think of who could be the "Jīnbeì" to save this great decline of the late Qing Dynasty.
However, when Changsha faced danger and Luo Bingzhang sincerely invited him again, feeling that he couldn't wait for the "Jīnbeì" and that he was the "Jīnliàng" who could not wait, Zuo Zongtang agreed to come out and assist. With his scholar's title, he quickly ascended to a position higher than all the Shaoxing scholars as the chief scholar.
Don't underestimate the chief scholar of this province's governor, a position that is not within the official structure of the Qing Dynasty. According to the Qing Dynasty's system, within a governor's office, excluding military officers under the jurisdiction of the governor, there is only one official with a formal post—the governor himself, who governs Hunan and its vicinity, supervises military affairs, commands all garrisons, and manages grain supplies and subsidies!
A government office as big as a province can only have one official in charge, which is definitely not suitable for doing business.
Therefore, the governor must pay for his own staff to manage affairs, which is usually at least two or three hundred people and can even reach a thousand. Among them, the most important are a group of scholars! These scholars under the governor are roughly equivalent to the chiefs of various departments in today's provincial government.
The governor's office also has various "bureaus," with at least a dozen and up to twenty or more, and the heads of each bureau are all scholars. All the scholars under Luo Bingzhang are under the jurisdiction of Zuo Zongtang, the chief scholar!
Luo Bingzhang even kept his official seal there, and Zuo Zongtang could issue orders on behalf of Luo Bingzhang at any time.
Therefore, Zuo Zongtang's current position is even smaller than the provincial government office's director, and can be compared to a "deputy governor in charge of administrative affairs"!
What a high and powerful position indeed!
However, Zuo Zongtang's power is not his own, but rather a result of Luo Bingzhang's trust. He essentially "borrowed" the position of a "deputy governor in charge of administrative affairs" and holds it today. If Luo Bingzhang were to resign, Zuo Zongtang would also be done for as the "deputy governor in charge of administrative affairs."
The experience of holding the position of a "deputy governor in charge of administrative affairs" only to revert to a common scholar is truly unpleasant.
Moreover, the current era is already a time of chaos!
As the saying goes in "Fan Jing": "In this era, the people are numerous and the territory is narrow, with high rent and heavy interest rates. The common people are barely fed, and their hearts yearn for chaos. There is the rise of the Taiping Army and Western foreign invasion. The Qing Dynasty has no renowned emperor or strong leader. Under domestic and foreign threats, the country will certainly decline, there will be no chance of resurgence, and it will resemble the chaos of Yuan Dynasty!"
Even if Zuo Zongtang had the desire to survive in the turmoil, he must confront North Qing, South Taiping, and the heroes who have arisen in all four directions. Could they accommodate the renowned "Jīnliàng"?
Zuo Zongtang thought to himself, "Well, well, it seems that my 'Jīnliàng' may not meet the 'Jīnbeì.' I'll just have to be the 'Jīnbeì' myself!"
Reflecting on his thoughts, Zuo Zongtang finally accepted Luo Bingzhang's problem: "The situation of the 'Eastern bandit' is becoming more serious, and they might settle in Hunan. Therefore, Changsha will inevitably face a disaster!"
"To make Hunan their home?" Luo Bingzhang furrowed his brow, "How do you know this?"
Zuo Zongtang pondered for a moment and replied, "When the 'Yue rebels' were entrenched in Yong'an County, I heard that they worshipped the Western God and upon occupying a city, they would divide it among their kings, with great pomp and ceremony, seeking pleasure. They also delayed within the city of Yong'an without seizing the surrounding areas, which suggests that their leader has no grand ambitions."
Not wanting them to enter Hunan, they changed their usual demeanor, dividing land and relieving the poor, attacking the wealthy landowners. Recently, they have also proclaimed 'Ou Tian Huang Shang Di,' apparently changing their religion. This is why they had a significant defeat in Daozhou, Guangyongzhuang, and Chenzhou cities. It is why parties like the Hunan Tialand Society also followed suit. It is also why impoverished peasants and miners willingly became their pawns and foundations."
Now, places such as Daozhou, Ningyuan, Jianghua, Yongming, and Xintian have all fallen into the hands of the rebels. According to reports from spies, there are no government troops there now, nor are there any scholars or notables!
While half of the counties under Guiyang Prefecture and Chenzhou Prefecture have fallen into the hands of rebels, the prefectural towns and commercial centers, which were once heavily populated, have been securely occupied by the rebels. The countryside still has some scholars who attempt to resist the rebels, but they are struggling to hold out for long.
In summary, observing the actions of the Yue rebels, they seem determined to establish their base in Hunan. And if the Yue rebels want to settle in Hunan, they must take Changsha as their foundation!"
After hearing Zuo Zongtang's analysis, Luo Bingzhang's old face turned as pale as a ghost.
He originally held some hope that he could safely pass through this crisis - his responsibility right now was only the provincial capital Changsha. If the Taiping Army could bypass Changsha, he would be fine. If they could attack Changsha slightly, he might even have a chance to "borrow ten" and report to the court.
With the victory of defending Changsha, there is a shortage of personnel in the military council. There are only four military ministers now, which is far from enough to handle all the tasks!
But now, with the current situation, Luo Bingzhang not only has no connection with the military council, but he might as well be preparing to be a loyal and heroic figure in Changsha.
This time, he really got trapped by Empress Dowager Cixi!
Fortunately, Luo Bingzhang still has the "Jīnliàng" Zuo Zongtang under his command.
Changing his thoughts, Luo Bingzhang no longer cared about the dignity of a distinguished minister and directly pleaded for help to Zuo Zongtang: "Ji Gao, save me!"
"Life is hard, death is the only certainty!"
Zuo Zongtang nodded and said, "I have a method that can solve your difficulty!"
"What are the eight characters?"
"Organizing a large-scale militia and defending Changsha vigorously!" Zuo Zongtang said, "As long as Changsha is defended, you, Master Luo, will be recognized as a distinguished minister and a national pillar. No matter what, it will be your case that you are right! If Changsha cannot be defended, there are ways to handle it, but they may not be very elegant. Let me explain further later. Therefore, from now on, Master Luo must use any means necessary without scruples. Everything should be done for the sake of defending the city!"
"But, Your Majesty has issued an imperial edict clearly ordering Zeng Guofan to recover from his grief and resume his duties, specifically to deal with the militia affairs in Hunan. What can I say as the temporary governor of Hunan if no one listens to me?"
When Luo Bingzhang said this, he once again criticized Xianfeng inside his heart.
To organize the Hunan militia, you should authorize this to the acting governor of Hunan.
You're asking Zeng Guofan to take charge, but since he's not coming out of retirement, no one listens to what I say.
What can we do? If Zeng Guofan doesn't come out of retirement, I'll be long dead by then!
Zuo Zongtang sneered coldly, "Zeng Guofan is a loyal subject. As a loyal subject, he will certainly obey the imperial edict. Therefore, since the emperor has decreed that Zeng Guofan should recover from his grief and resume his duties, we should spread the news that he has agreed to come out of retirement. Then, using his name, we can call on the scholars and gentry in the Changsha area to contribute money and manpower to organize militia!"
"Will the scholars and gentry in the Changsha area agree to this?" Luo Bingzhang was still a bit suspicious.
"They will agree!" Zuo Zongtang smiled, "We just say that Zeng Guofan and you have jointly submitted a petition to the emperor asking to open donations for candidates in Hunan. For an 'exempt' candidate, it costs 5,000 taels of silver, and 300 taels for an 'accompanying' candidate. Now, the cost can be reduced by six tenths. As soon as the emperor approves it, we will immediately pay out."
"The imperial edict clearly states that candidates for the examination should undergo certain conditions and procedures. How can we bypass these requirements and accept contributions in exchange for positions?" Luo Bingzhang was taken aback by Zuo Zongtang's scheme.
"How can that be considered cheating?" Zuo Zongtang laughed, "Any actions taken for organizing the militia and defending Changsha cannot be called cheating. As long as we manage to organize a strong militia and defend Changsha successfully, having a few more candidates or scholars is not a big deal."
"The emperor is so wise, he will certainly approve it!"
"What if the emperor doesn't approve?" Luo Bingzhang asked.
Zuo Zongtang spread his hands and said, "Then the Qing Dynasty will lose Hunan!"
"Zuo Zongtang, what do you think of our plan? Our target this time is twofold: one is Changsha, and the other is Xiangxiang. Do you have any confidence?"
In the temporary heavenly angel palace of Chenzhou city, the Heavenly Angel, the son of God, and the chief lecturer of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom's secret society, Luo Yao Guo, was holding a meeting in a simple hall with several responsible members of his secret society to discuss how to take Changsha and Xiangxiang.
"Huoxiang?" Xu Xianggui was taken aback, "Why do we need to seize the small county of Huoxiang?"
Luo Yao Guo smiled and said, "Although the county seat of Huoxiang is small, there is a powerful Qing official inside. He can help you get back your family's honored official position of Hong Dahuan!"
