1848 Great Qing Charcoal Burners

Chapter 346 The ruler brings disaster upon me, and I, in turn, bring disaster upon the ruler.
When Li Hongzhang walked out of the study in the Lü residence, the sky was already showing the first light of dawn.

The cool autumn morning breeze of the capital gradually brought on the fatigue of a sleepless night.

Li Hongzhang estimated that Lü Xianji, dressed in his finest attire, would take at least a day or two to complete the entire process of entering the palace in a sedan chair, waiting to be summoned in the court, and presenting his petition to the emperor. Moreover, it was uncertain whether the outcome would be as he had anticipated, and whether he would be able to return to Anhui to organize local militias.

Waiting around is futile and only causes anxiety; it's better to go home and rest for a while.

Li Hongzhang returned to his not-so-spacious residence, hastily ate some breakfast that his servant Liu Douzhai had carefully prepared for him, and lay down fully clothed, falling into a deep sleep in a hazy, half-awake state.

Li Hongzhang, who had been catching up on sleep for what seemed like several hours, was awakened by a knock on the door and Liu Douzhai's low announcement.

"Second Master, Lord Yuan from Xiangcheng and Lord Zhao from Taihu have sent messengers to invite you to a gathering at Lord Yuan's residence, saying that they have prepared a small feast for you."

Upon hearing this, Li Hongzhang's spirits lifted.

These two were close friends of Li Hongzhang in Beijing.

Lord Yuan is Yuan Jiasan, a native of Xiangcheng County, Chenzhou Prefecture, Henan Province, and currently holds the position of Attendant Censor.

Lord Zhao, also known as Zhao Yun, was from Taihu County, Anqing Prefecture, Anhui Province. He held the title of Prefect and was a capable official awaiting a real appointment.

Although both men were more than ten years older than Li Hongzhang, almost a generation older, they were very close because they shared similar interests and were not satisfied with the dull and lifeless life of Beijing officials. They often discussed current affairs and expressed their pent-up feelings together.

Li Hongzhang immediately got up, quickly washed and changed his clothes, and gladly went there.

Meanwhile, Lü Xianji had arrived at the East Warm Pavilion of the Hall of Mental Cultivation and, after queuing for more than an hour, finally got to see Emperor Xianfeng as he had hoped.

Lu Xianji respectfully handed over the memorial, standing with his hands at his sides, feeling both anticipation and trepidation.

He cautiously observed Emperor Xianfeng on the throne out of the corner of his eye.

The Xianfeng Emperor was frowning, impatiently reading the memorial he had just submitted. The hall was silent except for the ticking of the Western-style clock and the soft rustling of pages.

As time passed, Lu Xianji's heart gradually rose to his throat.

This is not the first time that Lü Xianji has submitted a memorial to the throne to directly point out the problems of the times.

At first, Emperor Xianfeng was somewhat annoyed by Lü Xianji's memorials and did not want to read Lü Xianji's empty and meaningless clichés anymore. He only intended to glance at them and send Lü Xianji away.

However, Emperor Xianfeng soon noticed that this memorial was quite different from his previous ones. His furrowed brows gradually relaxed, and he even picked up his vermilion brush to mark the memorial, letting out a soft exclamation of praise: "Hmm...good! This proposal is excellent!"

Seeing this, Lü Xianji was secretly delighted, thinking to himself: Li Hongzhang is really something!
After carefully reading the memorial for a long time, Emperor Xianfeng raised his head, and even the gloom on his face seemed to dissipate somewhat. Xianfeng looked at Lü Xianji with great appreciation: "Minister Lü, this memorial is in line with my thoughts. The analysis of the situation in Anhui is insightful, and the proposed strategies are practical and feasible. At present, the country is facing difficulties, and it needs capable ministers like you who are willing to take on responsibilities and share my burdens. Minister Lü is truly a pillar of our Great Qing."

By this time, Emperor Xianfeng had been emperor for almost three years and was no longer the shy young man who dared not even leave his study and needed his teacher Du Shoutian by his side to feel safe.

The contrast between Lü Xianji's previous and current memorials is striking. Moreover, the style of this memorial reveals the boldness and vigor of a young man, which is unlike the kind of memorial that a pedantic scholar like Lü Xianji could write. It is more likely the work of his subordinates or students.

Emperor Xianfeng did not point it out directly. It was common practice for officials in the capital to keep their own assistants; almost every official with some power in the capital had such assistants. The fact that Lü Xianji had such insightful assistants and protégés was a testament to Lü Xianji's abilities.

"Your Majesty flatters me; I am unworthy of such praise! This is merely my duty!"

Lu Xianji immediately knelt down, feeling a great weight lifted from his heart. He was secretly pleased, thinking that this brief statement had won the emperor's favor and that he could expect to become a minister in the future. As for Li Hongzhang, who had made great contributions, Lu Xianji was even more determined to promote and win him over.

Just as Lü Xianji was about to kowtow and express his gratitude to the Emperor, Emperor Xianfeng changed the subject and said, "Since you, Minister Lü, have such loyalty and insight, I am very pleased! Now the Taiping Rebellion is raging in Anhui Province, the local militias are disorganized, and Anqing has not yet been recovered. We need a capable minister to take charge of the overall situation."

Previously, I ordered Jiang Zhongyuan, Zeng Guofan, Li Mengqun, and other retired ministers to organize local militias to jointly suppress the Taiping Rebellion. Since you are willing to share my burdens, I hereby appoint you as the Minister of Militia Training in Anhui. You are permitted to act expediently in Anhui. Depart immediately and return to Anhui as soon as possible to oversee all matters related to militia training in the province, and train a capable army to resist the rebels and recover lost territory.”

Emperor Xianfeng's words struck him like a bolt from the blue. Upon hearing them, Lü Xianji felt dizzy and nearly collapsed to the ground.

He originally only wanted to make a good impression on Emperor Xianfeng and pave the way for his future promotion to Minister, but unexpectedly he got into trouble and was to be sent to the dangerous front line by Emperor Xianfeng.

Lu Xian was basically unfamiliar with military affairs, and the thought of facing the fierce rebels made his legs go weak.

"Your Majesty, your subject..."

Lu Xianji opened his mouth, wanting to find an excuse to decline, but when he saw the Emperor Xianfeng's earnest and trusting gaze, which brooked no refusal, the words he was about to utter were swallowed back. He couldn't bear the crime of disobeying an imperial edict.

"Hmm? Does Minister Lü have any further doubts?" Emperor Xianfeng raised his voice slightly, his tone rather unfriendly.

Lu Xianji broke out in a cold sweat. In a flash, he realized that he absolutely could not jump into this fire pit alone.

Even if it's about jumping into this fire pit, we have to drag Li Hongzhang down with us.

Lu Xianji immediately kowtowed, gritting his teeth as he said, "Your subject... Your subject accepts the imperial decree and thanks you! However, the affairs of the militia are numerous and complex, and it is beyond the capacity of one person to handle alone."

Li Hongzhang, an associate compiler in the Hanlin Academy, is from Anhui and is well-versed in military strategy. I humbly request Your Majesty's permission to allow him to accompany me to Anhui to assist in the organization of local militias. This will surely yield twice the results with half the effort!

As he spoke, Lü Xianji thought to himself: "You, Li Hongzhang, since you wrote this memorial and came up with the idea, you're naturally entitled to all this good fortune! We'll live together, we'll die together! We'll share the blame!"

Emperor Xianfeng was worried about having no one to rely on, and upon hearing Lü Xianji's request, he immediately granted it: "Granted! Immediately send Li Hongzhang to accompany you to assist in the organization of the Anhui militia!"

Lu Xianji reluctantly bowed and left the Hall of Mental Cultivation, feeling unsteady on his feet. His earlier smugness had vanished, replaced by a bellyful of annoyance and resentment towards Li Hongzhang.

After Lü Xianji left, Su Shun reminded Emperor Xianfeng, "Your Majesty, I took the liberty of glancing at the memorial Lü Xianji submitted just now. This memorial doesn't seem like something Lü Xianji could have written. Should I send someone to investigate?"

Su Shun, who was also promoted to Grand Secretary of the Cabinet at the beginning of Emperor Xianfeng's reign, had many dealings with officials from various ministries.

Su Shun knew Lü Xianji's capabilities and abilities well. Among the Han officials, Lü Xianji was quite mediocre, a good-for-nothing minister with little talent.

Su Shun did not believe that Lü Xianji's achievements in military affairs could impress Emperor Xianfeng.

It is likely that the author of this memorial was someone else.

"How could I not know?" Emperor Xianfeng replied without hesitation.

"There's no need for a major undertaking; just investigate Li Hongzhang, the assistant compiler at the Hanlin Academy."

There were quite a few officials in Beijing whose ancestral home was Anhui, but Lü Xianji specifically requested that Li Hongzhang accompany him to Anhui to assist in organizing local militias.

Even without investigation, Emperor Xianfeng could guess that Lü Xianji's memorial was inextricably linked to Li Hongzhang, the assistant compiler of the Hanlin Academy.

Instead of holding a comfortable position as a high-ranking official in Beijing, Li Hongzhang instigated Lü Xianji to submit a memorial, hoping to indirectly return to Anhui to train local militias. This Li Hongzhang is quite interesting.

After a moment's thought, Emperor Xianfeng rose, walked to the screen, and wrote Li Hongzhang's name on it. Lu Xianji returned home dejectedly. When he told his family that he had been ordered to return to his hometown to organize local militias, the entire Lu household erupted in chaos.

Upon hearing that their master was to return to Anhui, to that battlefield where death was a near certainty, the women of the household began to wail and waile, as if he were about to be buried on the battlefield the very next day. The servants exchanged bewildered glances, and a pall of gloom hung over the mansion.

"My lord! How can a civil official like you go to such a dangerous place!"

"Father! You mustn't!"

Annoyed by the crying and complaining, Lü Xianji couldn't decide whether to scold or persuade, so he simply flung his sleeves, hid in his study, closed the door tightly, covered his ears, and tried to avoid hearing or seeing anything to keep himself from being bothered.

Zeng Guofan, Jiang Zhongyuan, Li Mengqun, and others were all registered members of the "Seize the Moment to Train the Militia," but Lü Xianji was not.

Why wouldn't he want to stay in the capital as a second-rank official, far away from the troubles on the front lines?
But now that things have come to this, whether to go or not is no longer a choice for Lü Xianji.

Just then, a servant announced, "Master, Assistant Secretary Li has arrived."

Lu Xianji, who was burning with rage and had nowhere to vent his anger, immediately shouted when he heard that Li Hongzhang, the instigator, had arrived: "Let him in!"

Li Hongzhang entered the study with a beaming smile. He had barely bowed when, before he could even speak, Lü Xianji launched into a tirade: "You, Li Shaoquan! This pen of yours has caused me so much trouble!"

Lu Xianji pointed at Li Hongzhang, both angry and helpless: "My original intention was to earn some reputation for you and me in front of the Emperor, but you wrote such flowery and eloquent articles! Now look what's happened, the imperial edict has been issued, appointing me as the Minister of Militia Training, and you are to assist me in supervising the militia training in Anhui and return to Anhui immediately! What kind of place is Anhui now? It's a mountain of knives and a sea of ​​fire! Shaoquan, you've really put me on the hot seat!"

Upon entering Lü's residence, Li Hongzhang had already learned from Lü Xianji's servants and family members that Emperor Xianfeng had appointed Lü Xianji as the Minister of Militia Training in Anhui to assist in the training of local militias. Lü Xianji's reaction was exactly what Li Hongzhang had anticipated.

Li Hongzhang was secretly delighted; this was exactly the result he had been dreaming of.

Li Hongzhang was secretly pleased, but on the surface he feigned fear: "Your Excellency, please calm your anger! I... I never expected His Majesty to be so resolute. Now that things have come to this, the nation is in trouble, and every citizen has a responsibility! It is my wish to return to my hometown with Your Excellency to serve you! Even if the road ahead is fraught with difficulties, I will do my utmost to serve Minister Lü and overcome these difficult times together!"

Seeing that Li Hongzhang's attitude was sincere and his words were agreeable, and that the matter was already settled, Lü Xianji's anger subsided somewhat, and he sighed, "So be it, so be it. Perhaps this is my fate. You and I are now in the same boat."

Taking the opportunity, Li Hongzhang suggested, “Your Excellency, since we are already in the same boat, why not recruit more people to join us? I recently met with my two elder brothers, Yuan Jiasan, the Supervising Secretary, and Zhao Yun, the Prefect. They both have the ambition to serve the country and do not want to waste their time in Beijing. Why not petition His Majesty to transfer them to the south to organize the militia? Brother Yuan is upright and knowledgeable in military affairs, and Brother Zhao is familiar with Anhui. With their help, it will be easier for us to make progress in Anhui.”

Lu Xianji was already heavily in debt and had nothing to worry about. He thought that many hands make light work, and since he had already been dragged into this mess, it would be good to bring in a few more capable helpers.

Furthermore, Zhou Tianjue and Li Jiaduan also had group training in Anhui, but they weren't very good at it.

This time, as the second batch of ministers in charge of militia training, he returned to Anhui to train militias, inevitably competing with Zhou Tianjue and Li Jiaduan for limited resources.

A hero needs three helpers; it's always good to have a few capable assistants.

The following day, Lü Xianji went to the palace again and, citing the heavy workload of the local militia in Anhui Province and the urgent need for talent, submitted a memorial requesting that Yuan Jiasan and Zhao Yun be transferred to Anhui to jointly handle matters related to the militia's defense and suppression.

What Emperor Xianfeng lacked at the moment were capable ministers who could share his burdens, not a few idle officials in the capital.

Seeing Lü Xianji's dedication to his work, Emperor Xianfeng naturally gave him his full support and immediately issued an edict approving his request.

Before returning to Anhui, Li Hongzhang invited Yuan Jiasan and Zhao Yun to his residence for a gathering.

After a round of drinks, Li Hongzhang put down his wine cup and said calmly, "Brother Yuan, Brother Zhao, the matter we discussed the other day has been settled. His Majesty has issued an imperial edict appointing Minister Lü as the Minister of Militia Training in Anhui. I am unworthy, but I am honored by Minister Lü's recommendation to accompany him and assist in the militia training affairs in Anhui."

As for his two elder brothers, Minister Lü had already petitioned the Emperor for their transfers, and the Emperor had granted his request, ordering Brother Yuan to return to Anhui as a Supervising Secretary and Brother Zhao to hold the title of Prefect, to jointly organize local militias for defense and suppression.

Yuan Jiasan showed little surprise. He was adept at currying favor and well-informed, and had already heard rumors about the details and outcome of Lü Xianji's audience with the emperor. He stroked his short beard, pondered for a while, and said, "Shaoquan, I know a little about the cause and effect of this matter. Minister Lü, alas."

At this point, Yuan Jiasan couldn't help but shake his head. Seeing that Li Hongzhang and Zhao Yun were looking over, he simply said bluntly, "This time, we are following Minister Lü to organize local militias. The outcome is uncertain."

As for Minister Lü, it might be true that he was a loyal minister, wholeheartedly devoted to repaying the Emperor's favor. However, in my humble opinion, Minister Lü's character bears a resemblance to Yuan Shao: he is hesitant to undertake great tasks, prioritizing short-term gains over personal safety.

"Oh? What makes you say that, Brother Yuan?" Zhao Yun asked with great interest.

Yuan Jiasan paused for a moment, then continued, "Minister Lü usually speaks eloquently and seems to have great ambitions, but when faced with a real situation, he hesitates and thinks more about protecting himself than about making progress."

Yuan Shao is outwardly generous but inwardly suspicious, employing people while distrusting them. He has many advisors under his command, yet he struggles to fully utilize their talents. Minister Lü may not be magnanimous, but his vision is somewhat narrow; he is not one to manage extraordinary situations or accommodate extraordinary talent. If we wish to truly achieve something on this journey, I fear this superior will not only be an asset but may even become a hindrance.”

Yuan Jiasan wanted to train a militia, but Lü Xianji had neither readily available troops nor much ability, so Yuan Jiasan was not very willing to train a militia under Lü Xianji's command.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Yun couldn't help but chuckle, his tone laced with the sarcastic sarcasm of a scholar: "Wuqiao (Yuan Jiasan's courtesy name)'s analogy is quite amusing. However, back when Dong Zhuo was in power, Yuan Shao dared to draw his sword and bow deeply, declaring that his sword was never dull. Such courage is something even Lord Lü, in his flattery, could hardly match."

Although Yuan Shao was defeated at Guandu, he was still a powerful and ambitious figure who once dominated the north bank of the Yellow River and rivaled Cao Cao. Minister Lü, it seems, lacks even the ability and ambition to contend with such a formidable enemy.

Yuan Shao was at least outwardly lenient but inwardly suspicious, possessing the advantage of being outwardly lenient, something Lü Xianji lacked.

Although Lü Xianji's return to Anhui to train militias was facilitated by Li Hongzhang, the outcome ultimately suited Li Hongzhang's wishes.

However, it was hardly a glorious thing for a high-ranking official of the second rank to be led around by Li Hongzhang, a mere seventh-rank assistant.

Moreover, Lü Xianji's memorial was written at Lü Xianji's own request, with Li Hongzhang acting as his scribe. Li Hongzhang lived up to Lü Xianji's expectations, successfully drawing the attention of Emperor Xianfeng and entrusting him with important responsibilities.

Although this important task was not what Lü Xianji wanted, Li Hongzhang still managed to complete the task entrusted to him by Lü Xianji.

Lu Xianji, a high-ranking official of the second rank, actually said afterwards, "The emperor has brought disaster upon me; if I am ordered to go, I will also bring disaster upon the emperor. I am here to request permission to go with him."

His vision and perspective are indeed too narrow; he doesn't seem like the kind of person who can accomplish great things.

Li Hongzhang smiled bitterly and said, "What you two brothers say is insightful and makes perfect sense. However, at this juncture, do the three of us brothers have any room to be picky or choose which master to serve?"

This question struck Yuan and Zhao like a heavy hammer.

With their family wealth and connections, they could indeed do whatever they wanted in their hometown. However, in the capital, where officials were as numerous as hairs on a cow, they were nothing. They had no choice but to be selective and choose their masters.

"The capital may be nice, but for us, it's nothing more than a beautiful cage. Now that the opportunity is right in front of us, the first priority is to obtain the title of commander of the Anhui militia!" Li Hongzhang glanced at Yuan Jiasan and Zhao Yun and continued.

"With this official position and the authority granted by the Emperor to organize local militias, we can legitimately return to our hometowns, recruit local militias, raise funds and supplies, connect with gentry and heroes, and establish a foothold. As for the superiors, that's up to us. The key is how much real local militia we can actually control."

Yuan Jiasan wholeheartedly agreed: "Shaoquan's words are the right argument! In chaotic times, apart from real military power, everything else is meaningless. What about the constraints from superiors, what about the risks to one's future? Only with soldiers, with one's own troops, can one speak with confidence and walk with a straight back."

Li Hongzhang nodded slowly and said, "That's right. We're in a bind, so we have no choice but to move forward. The most urgent task is to head south as soon as possible, seize this fleeting opportunity, and take advantage of the fact that the Taiping rebels are busy running north and south. With Sai Zhongtang and the others in Jiangxi keeping the Taiping rebels occupied, the defense pressure in Anhui is not so heavy. Let's set up the framework of the Anhui militia first."

A few days later, after being invited to meet Su Shun, Li Hongzhang, Yuan Jiasan, and Zhao Yun, along with Lü Xianji as the second batch of ministers in charge of local militia training, traveled south along the Grand Canal, which was still passable and could reach northern Jiangsu, to Anhui to oversee the training of local militias.

(End of this chapter)