1848 Great Qing Charcoal Burners

Chapter 239: Just a joke

They returned to Lingling City and handed over the more than 25,000 people recruited by Feng Yunshan's Southern Palace over the past ten days to the Southern Palace.

Peng Gang was stationed in Lingling City to cover the rear. After the women's battalion, children's battalion, and old men's battalion had all moved to Hengzhou Prefecture in the north, he led the rearguard troops to Hengyang City.

For more than twenty days since arriving in Lingling and meeting Peng Gang outside Xiaoxiang Gate, Zuo Zongtang has been constantly by Peng Gang's side.

Clearly, Peng Gang intended to invite Zuo Zongtang to join his staff and work together on important matters.

Peng Gang was the third person this year to intend to invite Zuo Zongtang to join his staff, and the first person to exceed Zuo Zongtang's expectations and move him.

The first person to invite Zuo Zongtang to join his staff this year was Li Xingyuan, a fellow townsman from Xiangyin and an imperial commissioner.

Zuo Zongtang felt that Li Xingyuan had too little power. Although Emperor Xianfeng appointed Li Xingyuan as imperial envoy, Li Xingyuan did not have many decent soldiers, and Emperor Xianfeng did not approve much money for him.

Zuo Zongtang felt that Li Xingyuan, as an imperial envoy without any real power, would be unable to accomplish anything, so he did not accept Li Xingyuan's invitation to join his staff.

As Zuo Zongtang had predicted, Li Xingyuan was defeated and killed at Huangsha Pass not long after.

The second person to invite Zuo Zongtang to join his staff was Luo Bingzhang, the governor of Hunan. Zuo Zongtang felt that Luo Bingzhang was not sincere enough and did not immediately agree.

As for Peng Gang, both his knowledge and abilities exceeded Zuo Zongtang's expectations.

Peng Gang not only did not believe in foreign religions and was not deeply involved with the Catholic Church, but he also did not destroy the Confucian Temple. His attitude towards the Hunan pragmatic school of thought was surprisingly friendly.

Zuo Zongtang's army was even stronger and more well-equipped, the most disciplined army he had ever seen, and it had the appearance of a royal army.

"Ji Gao, when are we going back to Xiangyin?"

Inside the Yongzhou Prefecture government office in Lingling City, Guo Kuntao, who had been staying with the Left Army for more than twenty days, was thinking of returning to Baishuidong in Xiangyin to report back to his elder brother Guo Songtao and continue his leisurely hermit life.

“Zhongyi, now that we know so much about Zuo Jun’s inner workings, do you think Peng Gang will let us go?” Zuo Zongtang felt that Guo Kuntao was being too naive.

Peng Gang took the two of them with him and allowed them to visit various battalions of the Left Army, so that they could understand the Left Army. This shows that Peng Gang never intended to let them go from the beginning.

“Ji Gao, you’re not really going to become a thief, are you? You’re a role model for all the scholars in Hunan. If you become a thief, what will the students you’ve taught at the academy think of you? Have you thought about that?” Guo Kuntao quickly tried to persuade him.

"It's all about the victors and the vanquished." Zuo Zongtang was quite open-minded and frank, saying, "If I, Zuo Zongtang, am defeated, then I am a traitor; if I succeed, then I, Zuo Zongtang, am a dragon."

Today, the choice of whom to serve as his assistant is no longer within Zuo Zongtang's control.

The only thing Zuo Zongtang was concerned about now was how much Peng Gang cared about him and how much power Peng Gang could grant him.

Guo Kuntao stared at Zuo Zongtang in astonishment, unsure of what to say about Zuo the Donkey.

Under Guo Kuntao's astonished gaze, Zuo Zongtang arrived at the West Flower Hall of the front office.

At this moment, Peng Gang was writing and drawing on the roster in the West Flower Hall, carefully considering the upcoming personnel transfers and military reorganization.

In the past two months, the number of new recruits in the southern Hunan region has accounted for nearly half of the total number of the Left Army. With so much fresh blood joining, it is necessary to redistribute power within the Left Army.

There is no reason in the world to expect a horse to run without feeding it.

Of course, Peng Gang's core support base still consists of his old brothers who have followed him through thick and thin in Guangxi.

Peng Gang also needs to take into account the feelings of his old friends in Guangxi, treat everyone equally, and not give too many rights to the newcomers from Hunan.

"Mr. Zuo is here?"

Upon glancing up and seeing Zuo Zongtang's arrival, Peng Gang temporarily set aside his official duties and rose to greet him.

"I apologize for bothering you, but I have a question to ask you," Zuo Zongtang explained his purpose.

"Mr. Zuo, please feel free to ask," Peng Gang said, gesturing for him to speak.

"What is Your Highness's purpose in luring me to Lingling?" Zuo Zongtang asked knowingly.

"I admire your talent and learning, and I would like to work together to achieve great things," Peng Gang said frankly.

"If I, Zuo, do not comply, what will Your Highness the Northern King do?" Zuo Zongtang persisted.

“I have the utmost respect for Mr. Zuo,” Peng Gang said after a moment’s thought.

“Your Highness the Northern King understands my temperament. I would like to hear Your Highness’s true feelings.” Zuo Zongtang interrupted Peng Gang somewhat impatiently.

“Mr. Zuo is talented and will surely achieve great things in the future. Since Mr. Zuo is unwilling to follow me, he will definitely be my formidable enemy in the future. The greatest respect for an enemy is to eliminate him completely.” Peng Gang said solemnly, his words filled with murderous intent. Upon hearing this, Zuo Zongtang’s face stiffened, and he remained silent for a long time.

Seeing Zuo Zongtang standing still, Peng Gang smiled and said, "I was just joking with you, Mr. Zuo. You don't have to take it seriously. I wouldn't want to kill you."

A comedy act?

Zuo Zongtang did not believe that Peng Gang's words were a joke.

Based on Zuo Zongtang's observations of Peng Gang these past few days, Peng Gang values ​​talent and intends to recruit Hunan scholars for his own use. He will not kill him, but it is highly likely that he will be placed under house arrest.

Being placed under house arrest is even more painful than being killed outright.

“His Highness the Prince of the North is a man of deep feelings,” Zuo Zongtang replied with a smile.

“Mr. Zuo’s calligraphy is quite good. I would like to ask you for a piece of your calligraphy.” With that, Peng Gang walked to the bookshelf, opened a long camphor wood box at the bottom, and carefully took out a piece of snow-white Xuan paper.

Lu Huang Xuan paper is made of extra-large, clean-skinned paper. It is white as jade, large enough to hold ink well, resistant to aging, and produces distinct layers of ink tones, making it highly regarded by calligraphers.

The production process of Luhuang Xuan paper is complicated, the yield rate is low, and the requirements for craftsmanship are high, making it an extremely precious type of Xuan paper.

Huang Wenchen, the prefect of Yongzhou Prefecture, was a great lover of calligraphy, and these Luhuangxuan manuscripts were originally part of his collection.

Peng Gang used some of the good paper to make maps, and kept the rest.

Peng Gang personally laid out paper and ground ink for Zuo Zongtang. How could Zuo Zongtang refuse? He rolled up his sleeves, came to the table, and asked, "What does Your Highness the Northern King wish to write?"

"A world of great harmony," Peng Gang said firmly. "Please, sir."

Zuo Zongtang nodded slightly, picked up his brush, and wrote the poem.

After Zuo Zongtang finished writing, Peng Gang leaned closer to take a closer look. Although he had never formally studied calligraphy, he felt that Zuo Zongtang's writing was very good. It was unrestrained yet upright and dignified. Each character was written with ease and control. It was very well written and had a distinctive style. He praised it, saying, "Solemn and imposing, strong yet substantial, restrained yet expansive, full of vitality, like an eagle, like a dragon. Good writing, good writing."

"Your Highness, you flatter me." Zuo Zongtang gently placed his pen on the pen holder and said, "Therefore, conspiracies do not arise, theft and rebellion do not occur, and outer doors are not closed. This is called Great Harmony. How difficult it is to achieve Great Harmony throughout the world."

"When granaries are full and people are content, they know etiquette. If all the people in the world are well-fed and clothed, the era of Great Harmony will not be far off," Peng Gang said as he carefully admired Zuo Zongtang's calligraphy.

"It's not far off, but then it won't be a world of great harmony." Zuo Zongtang looked up at Peng Gang. "If all the people in the world can have enough to eat and wear, why isn't it a world of great harmony?"

“The problem is inequality,” Peng Gang admitted.

“That makes sense.” There are not many people that Zuo Zongtang cannot see through, and Peng Gang is one of them. His insight and understanding are beyond what someone his age should have. After thinking for a while, he spoke.

"The character '均' (jun) is the most difficult character to write since ancient times. I, Zuo, read His Highness the Northern King's proclamation back in Hengshan County. With His Highness the Northern King's strategic acumen, I believe he may be able to expel the Tartars, restore China, and establish a new dynasty. However, if His Highness the Northern King fails to deliver on this slogan of equal land ownership, how will he handle the situation?"

"I only need to do better than the pseudo-Qing dynasty," Peng Gang said. "Each generation should do its own thing."

He certainly won't live to see the so-called utopian world, but he can do better than the Qing Dynasty, laying the foundation for future generations and bringing us one step closer to the ideal utopian world.

Zuo Zongtang pondered for a long time before asking, "If I, Zuo, am willing to leave my seclusion and become His Highness the Prince of the North's right-hand man, what position would His Highness the Prince of the North be willing to grant me?"

"I will temporarily serve as your chief advisor, and in the future, I will help you establish your foundation. Whether you wish to serve as a high-ranking official in the central government or go to the provinces to apply your knowledge and skills to become a local official and benefit the people, the choice is yours." Peng Gang frankly stated his offer.

Peng Gang's sincerity was so great that even Zuo Zongtang felt a little embarrassed.

Luo Bingzhang's self-perception of being respectful and courteous to scholars paled in comparison to Peng Gang's.

Even the wise ruler that Zhuge Liang sought could not have been more like this.

Peng Gang was sincere and honest, so it would be unreasonable for Zuo Zongtang to continue to act coy and pretentious.

"I, Zuo, am willing to serve as the chief of staff to His Highness the Northern King, but I urge His Highness not to leak this matter for the time being," Zuo Zongtang said solemnly, bowing to Peng Gang.

"I, Zuo, still have some reputation in Changsha Prefecture. When His Highness the Northern King leads his troops north and enters the territory of Changsha Prefecture, I, Zuo, am willing to act as an envoy to persuade some local learned scholars to come and join me. If all else fails, I will try to win over some of my former students."

"Don't worry, sir, I will definitely protect your family's safety," Peng Gang said with a satisfied nod.

Zuo Zongtang came to Lingling alone. His family and friends were all in Changsha Prefecture, so it was understandable that he was worried about their safety.

If Zuo Zongtang were heartless and inconsiderate, showing no regard for his family or old friends, Peng Gang would not dare to employ him.

(End of this chapter)