The Qing Dynasty is about to end

Chapter 160: Restore your traditional Chinese clothing, follow Zhou rituals, and become a great scholar!
A major event that attracted worldwide attention?

Zeng Guohua thought to himself, "Two Zeng Guofans, this is a joke that will make the whole world stare at it! Even if the gentry in other places don't know who Zeng Guofan is, the gentry in Hunan knows him! This Zeng Guofan who passed the imperial examination and became a minister eight years ago now has one real and one fake. This is really funny!"

"Your Highness, do you want to humiliate my brother?" Zeng Guohua was still reluctant to do such a thing.

"No, no," Luo Yaoguo shook his head and said, "Although your brother and I are like water and fire, he is still an opponent worthy of my full efforts. In my opinion, your brother is the only one in the world who can prolong the life of Qing Yao! It's a pity that King Xi and Yue Gui failed to kill your brother this time!"

Luo Yaoguo asked the Western King Xiao Chaogui to take action personally, and also sent his "ace agent" Xu Yuegui, of course, with the intention of killing Zeng Guofan.

Getting back Hong Daquan or something was just an excuse to trick Xu Yuegui into working harder.

But he was not caught. That means Zeng’s bad luck has not yet ended.

However, Zeng Guohua is not completely useless. In fact, what he can do under Luo Yaoguo is no less than his brother.

If Zeng Guofan were caught, he would be chopped into two with one sword!

And Zeng Guohua can do a lot!
"I wonder what Your Highness wants me to do?" Zeng Guohua asked.

"Be a true scholar!" Luo Yaoguo said.

"A true great scholar?" Zeng Guohua smiled bitterly, "Your Highness the Angel thinks highly of me. I am not good at studying Confucianism, so I cannot be a great scholar."

"In today's world, it is not difficult for you to become a great scholar by relying on Zeng Disheng's reputation." Luo Yaoguo turned around and asked Huang Jiacheng, "Zizhen, do you know what Zeng Disheng should do to become a great scholar and a perfect man of his generation?"

Huang Shicheng nodded and said, "I know."

"Tell it to Zeng Wenfu!"

Huang Shicheng stroked his beard and said, "Mr. Wenfu, although I am a scholar, I am not as knowledgeable as you. I have never passed the imperial examination in my life, but I know how Zeng Disheng became a great scholar!"

Zeng Guohua stood up and bowed to Mr. Huang: "I would like to hear the details!"

"If Zeng Disheng wants to become a great scholar, he only needs to accomplish two things: one is to restore the traditional Chinese clothing, and the other is to practice Zhou rituals!"

"Restore the traditional Chinese clothes and practice Zhou rites." Zeng Guohua was stunned and stood there in a daze.

Luo Yaoguo laughed and said, “Shouldn’t Confucian scholars dress like Confucius and Mencius and follow the etiquette of the Zhou Dynasty?

Confucius said: "If it were not for Guan Zhong, I would have worn my hair loose and my clothes on the left side!" Now, although Mr. Wenfu does not wear his hair loose and his clothes on the left side, he wears Manchu clothing, shaves his head and braids his hair. Confucius and Mencius would have cried in their graves if they saw him. Mr. Wenfu read the books of Confucius and Mencius and knew the etiquette of the Zhou Dynasty. Don't you want to restore the Chinese clothing?"

Huang Shicheng stroked his beard and said, "The reason why men in my Han family wear Hu clothing, shave their heads and tie their braids is simply because we are afraid of the Qing demons who would keep their hair but not their heads. Now both the head and the hair can be kept. Wen Fu, you no longer wear the clothes and hats of Confucius and Mencius. Are you still worthy of being called a Confucian scholar?"

Zeng Guohua knew that he had to change his braid, otherwise he would have neither a braid nor a head!

So he said immediately: "Your Highness the Angel and Mr. Huang are teaching Guohua that he should grow his hair and change his clothes."

Children can be taught!
"And we also follow the Zhou rituals!" Huang Shicheng added.

"How should this Zhou ritual be implemented?" Zeng Guohua asked again.

"Well-field system!" Huang Shicheng said with a smile, "One well of land is divided into nine parts, eight of which are for private use and one for the public. This is the well-field system!"

Having said that, how could Zeng Guohua not understand?
Luo Yaoguo wanted to use him to borrow Zeng Guofan's name to stir up the issue of "restoring the clothing and the rituals of Zhou Dynasty" to help the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom occupy the Confucian righteousness and prevent the Confucian banner from being used to deal with the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom. After all, "restoring the clothing and the rituals of Zhou Dynasty" is the greatest Confucian righteousness today. If you oppose this, you are a complete pseudo-Confucian!
If no influential scholar leader had raised this, then the "pseudo-Confucians" in the world could still turn a deaf ear and pretend that this did not exist.

But what if there was a "Zeng Guofan" who raised the banner of "restoring traditional clothing and practicing Zhou rituals"?
The "pseudo-Confucians" in the world can certainly continue to be traitors wholeheartedly, but they no longer have the ability to package a "Confucian holy war" to deal with the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom.

Isn't it ridiculous that the "Confucians" who couldn't even "restore the formal clothes and practice the Zhou rites" opposed the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom which was trying to "restore the formal clothes and practice the Zhou rites"?

On the contrary, Luo Yaoguo, the godson of "Haotian God", can raise the banner of "Confucian Holy War" to attack the Qing Dynasty at any time!

Zeng Guohua looked embarrassed and said with a wry smile: "Guohua is now a prisoner, what's the point of saying this?"

"Of course, talking is useless," Luo Yaoguo said, "but doing will definitely be useful. It's easier said than done! Mr. Wen Fu can talk about it while doing it, so that all Confucian scholars in the world will know that you are a true Confucian scholar!"

"I wonder what Your Highness wants Guohua to do?" Zeng Guohua had no choice but to follow Luo Yaoguo's words and ask.

"Of course, we should set an example, dress properly, and implement the well-field system!" Luo Yaoguo said, "Wang Yangming said: It is easy to eliminate the thieves in the mountains, but it is difficult to eliminate the thieves in the heart! I say: It is easy to divide the family land, but it is difficult to divide your own land! Mr. Wen Fu now has the opportunity to go to Heyetang, Xiangxiang County to divide his own land. Go and divide it in the name of Zeng Disheng!"

In fact, the fields in Heyetang, Zeng Guofan’s hometown in Xiangxiang County, had long been divided between Ma Baocai and Chen Ji.

But this did not prevent Zeng Guohua from dividing it again in the name of Zeng Guofan!
On the contrary, Zeng Guofan's hometown is very remote. After leaving the small place of Xiangxiang County, you have to walk dozens of miles of mountain roads to reach it. What happened there? People outside don't know.

In order to smoothly take office as the Minister of Hunan Militia, Zeng Guofan concealed the fact that his father and brother were captured, and Xiangxiang County was not taken by Xiao Chaogui. According to the Qing Dynasty's "reporting every ten times", it is estimated that every great victory was reported.

As long as Luo Yaoguo had Zeng Linshu and Zeng Guohua held captive, outsiders would have no way of knowing the news that Heyetang was occupied by the Taiping Army.

By then, all the things related to "restoring clothing and distributing land" in the Heyetang base area could be blamed on Zeng Guofan.

Now Zeng Guofan can’t clear himself even if he jumps into the Yangtze River!

Above the Chaozongmen city gate.

Today, Wang Kuiyi and Zhao Si came here to pick someone up. Zhao Si, who had been waiting for the imperial examination for eight years, had put on the official uniform of the Qing court again and even had a false braid attached to his hair. He looked as happy as if he had won the first prize.

Of course, he was so happy not because he was wearing official uniform again and had a new braid, but because he finally got the real position he had always dreamed of!
On the third day after he was redeemed and brought back to the Tiefu Temple, Luo Bingzhang, the acting governor of Hunan, summoned him in person and told him an infuriating piece of news - the magistrate of Wuling County, the capital of Changde Prefecture, was assassinated in the street by an assassin from the Tiandihui. He was shot in the head by a sharpshooter from the Tiandihui while he was sitting in a sedan chair!
So the post of magistrate of Wuling became vacant, and Luo Bingzhang decided to let Zhao Si fill it.

Now Zhao Si is finally the actual county magistrate! He came back with Wang Kuiyi today to set a good example for the students in the Qing Dynasty Loyalty Training Class who have not been redeemed yet, and also to kowtow to the Angel Palace to express his gratitude.

Amid the envious eyes of the crowd, Zhao Si clasped his fists and said with a smile: "Don't worry, classmates, Mr. Zuo and Governor Wang have arranged everything. No matter civil or military, there will be vacancies as soon as you return. Go back earlier and fill the vacancies earlier. The lord of a county and the commander of an army, what a good thing! Don't hesitate, and don't have any illusions about the Qing Dynasty. Now is another chaotic Yuan Dynasty. This Xianfeng, if he is lucky, he will become the Shundi of the Qing Dynasty!"

After he finished speaking, Wang Kuiyi beside him smiled and said, "There are 20 places available today. Everyone, please write your essays well and try to get them released today. There will be real vacancies tomorrow or the day after tomorrow!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he raised his hand and pointed to the Chao Zong Gate Tower - the desks, chairs, four treasures of the study, and invigilating warriors were all ready.

With Zhao Si returning as an example, the other students in the Qing Dynasty Loyalty Training Class who had not yet "come ashore" no longer hesitated, and all rushed to the Chaozongmen City Gate that could bring them a new life.

Seeing that all the students had entered the city gate tower, Wang Kuiyi turned his head and said to Zhao Si: "Nianzhi, let's go to the Angel Palace to pay homage to His Highness the Angel. By the way, report the news about Sushun and Senggelinqin.

Remember to send in your handwritten petition!"

"Yes!" Zhao Si answered without hesitation.

(End of this chapter)