Nanyang Storm 1864

Chapter 65 Questioning (First, give me your monthly tickets and recommendation tickets. It will be a waste if they expire, dear readers.)
The thought of attacking suddenly flashed through his mind, and then he heard footsteps behind him. Zheng Guohui felt several cold and sharp blades piercing his back, and his sense of danger suddenly increased.

Four sturdy guards of the palace flashed in amid Prince Gong Yixin's rebuke, staring at Zheng Guohui's back with eyes like poisonous snakes.

Just give the order and capture them immediately.

in an instant

Zheng Guohui's face turned into one of grief and anger. He stood up straight and faced Prince Gong Yixin, and said in a somewhat angry voice:

"If you want to accuse someone of a crime, you will always find a pretext.

Since I joined the army, I have worked diligently to repay the court, and have narrowly escaped death in bloody battles on the battlefield several times.

All we do is to maintain peace in this area.

The political world is full of twists and turns, and there are even those with ulterior motives who stab people in the back. It's truly chilling."

His self-defense was evasive and focused on the trivial issues. First of all, he argued that I was wrongly accused and there was no sore spot that could be seized upon, which made him seem quite experienced in dealing with matters.

Prince Gong Yixin sat high up in the seat and saw the indignation on Zheng Guohui's face, but there was no fear in his eyes, which looked straight at him with clear and bright eyes.

He thought to himself

This man is indeed a brave man who rolled among the dead. He is young and full of vigor, and he may be able to be trained.

There were indeed quite a few impeachment memorials against Zheng Guohui, more than a dozen in total, most of which were from court officials who had unclear ties with salt merchants, and they were all suppressed.

This is the current trend. Without a few impeachment memorials, you would be embarrassed to say that you are an official in the court.

Before meeting with Deputy General Zheng Guohui, Prince Gong Yixin got to know this person a little bit, mainly listening to the main points of the impeachment memorial reported by his staff, which made him frown.

As for the dozen or so specific impeachment memorials, Prince Gong Yixin didn't even look at them. The court had piles of documents every day, so how could he have the time to pay attention to these trivial matters?

His expression softened slightly, and Prince Gong Yixin asked;
"It is good to be brave enough to take on responsibilities. The court will naturally distinguish right from wrong and will not accuse meritorious officials without reason.

But what about Tzu Chi?"

As he spoke, his tone became stern, and he scolded, "Don't you know that forming a clique and recruiting followers to plot evil is a capital crime? Can you clear yourselves?"

The imperial court today is really a frightened bird. First there was the Taiping Rebellion, then the rise of the Nian Army, then the rebellion of the Hui people in Shaanxi, the invasion of Agui in the northwest, and the chaos in Guangdong and Guangxi.

Looking around China, there are flames of war everywhere.

From the perspective of Prince Gong Yixin

The imperial court, a tattered ship riddled with holes, was already on the verge of collapse. Maintaining its position was a laborious and arduous task, as it was walking on thin ice.

Therefore, he was quite sensitive about the Tzu Chi Association, but he didn't bother to ask about the illegal salt trafficking.

Nowadays, in order to strengthen their own power and raise military funds, the governors and governors-general of provinces from the southeast to the northwest not only engage in large-scale illegal salt trafficking, but also grow opium and sell official positions and titles, and the imperial court turns a blind eye to it.

The Qing Dynasty today really can't stand any more disturbance.

Zheng Guohui answered frankly;
"Your Excellency, I am sorry that I was confused and lost my composure. I beg you to punish me.

The cause was that some kind-hearted and wealthy locals in Jinling City could not bear to see so many children displaced from their homes, sold as slaves, or dying of hunger and cold on the streets due to the war.

Therefore, this Tzu Chi Association was initiated, and several families contributed some money with the aim of helping the poor and needy, providing porridge to the poor, so that these poor people can get through their difficult days.

Hometown of fellow villagers
I was soft-hearted for a moment and agreed to this proposal, tacitly agreeing to carry out the operation in the city.

Saving one life is better than building a seven-level pagoda.

I haven't thought of anything more. This is because I lack the ability to distinguish right from wrong. Please punish me, Master Zhongtang."

After saying that, he bowed deeply to the ground again.

I definitely won't kneel again, as that doesn't seem very clear, but bowing is fine.

After hearing these words, Prince Gong Yixin's expression had completely relaxed and he waved his hand.

As long as your reasons are reasonable, Prince Gong Yixin does not want to blame you too much. Instead, he is willing to use a conciliatory attitude to recruit high-ranking officials and nobles. The court is short of talents now!

The four palace guards who had just quietly slipped in immediately clasped their fists in salute and quietly retreated.

Prince Gong Yixin cursed him with a tone of disapproval, saying, "You are so foolish and stupid. You must know that buying reputation is a serious crime. How can you do something wrong out of soft-heartedness?"

"Your Excellency, I acknowledge my mistake. Upon returning, I will immediately halt the Tzu Chi Association's activities, investigate and prosecute the perpetrators, and immediately prosecute them, eliminating the danger in the bud." "That is the correct way. Please excuse the formalities and sit down to answer your questions."

"Thank you for your seat."

Prince Gong Yixin turned his head and instructed the palace maids, "Go and make a cup of tea for Lord Zheng, and then everyone please leave. There is no need to serve here."

"The slaves obey."

Several palace maids brewed tea and served it. A faint fragrant breeze wafted by, and then they retreated silently.

After all this trouble, the thunderstorm finally subsided. Zheng Guohui had survived this disaster, and there were already some sweat stains on his back.

The pressure that this devil six put on him was indeed very great.

Zheng Guohui had a rebellious personality and could easily overturn a table if he got too extreme. He grabbed a knife and chopped off Prince Gong Yixin's head, then stormed out of the palace laughing.

But this is just a thought in my mind and it doesn't count.

Anyone who can accomplish great things always remains calm when faced with major events.

Going to Southeast Asia requires huge amounts of money and resources. This identity is very convenient now and cannot be easily given up. This is the top priority.

Take ten thousand steps back

Even if Zheng Guohui suddenly attacked and was able to subdue the four palace guards around him, what about the others?
Prince Gong's palace had more than four expert guards, at least one or two hundred. If there was a commotion in the front hall, a large number of guards would arrive in a matter of moments.

By then, leaving this place alive will be a luxury.

Zheng Guohui adjusted his mindset and became calmer. He bowed respectfully and sat down.

After Prince Gong Yixin slapped him, it was time to give him a sweet date. His expression softened a lot, and he said with a hint of intimacy;

"Sir Zheng, when serving the court, you must act uprightly, be honest and not be afraid of what others say. This is the right path.

You are still young, and you may be acting too hastily, thus missing the essence of steady progress. You need to practice more."

"Your Excellency's words are truly invaluable. I am deeply impressed. I will examine myself three times a day and learn a few secrets of being an honest and upright official, hoping to make further progress."

"Good! There is nothing better than admitting one's mistakes and correcting them." Prince Gong Yixin was delighted to hear this and asked with a softer expression, "I heard that Lord Zheng is still unmarried."

"Thank you, Lord Zhongtang, for asking this question. I am really ashamed. It is because I joined the army at the age of 16. I often fought for months on end and had no time to take care of my personal affairs, which has led to the delay until now." Zheng Guohui took the opportunity to show off his achievements.

Prince Gong Yixin was also moved by this and said;

"Lord Zheng is truly a loyal and capable general of the imperial court. His achievements on the battlefield are a great comfort to this king.

But getting married is a major matter of human relations, how can it be taken lightly?

Now that the great troubles of our country have been removed, the rebellion of the Nian and Hui bandits is just a minor infestation that can be easily eliminated. There is no need to worry.

I still remember that your master is Master Fuzhu?"

"Your Excellency is wise and insightful, that's right." Zheng Guohui replied with his back turned.

"What a pity, the court has lost another pillar of the country!" A trace of grief flashed across Prince Gong Yixin's face. He and the Minister of Rites Fuzhu Shoushan had worked together in the court for a long time and supported each other. They did have some friendship.

Sighed softly
Prince Gong Yixin changed the subject and asked directly, "Did the Minister ever ask about your marriage during his lifetime?"

"Reporting to the Lord, the letter did mention it, but I don't know the details, and now it has become a thing of the past."

"What do you want?"

"I am of humble origins, and though I have been elevated to a high position by the imperial court, I know myself well enough to not dream of marrying a daughter of a noble royal family. I only seek a good wife from a scholarly family to live with."

"Oh……"

Prince Gong Yixin responded casually, and his eyes seemed to be wandering.

He was thinking, who could be a match for this newly promoted young deputy general of the second rank?
First of all, the royal family was excluded, and then the court officials below the fifth rank were excluded. These were no longer suitable for Zheng Guohui, as they were either too high or too low.

Considering that Zheng Guohui is the deputy general of Jiangnan, neither the civil nor the military officials of Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces are suitable, and if they are connected with each other by marriage, it will be easy for them to become too powerful to be eliminated in the local area.

For other candidates, as long as the family has a grown-up daughter with decent character, the range is not very wide.

(End of this chapter)