After seeing the imperial palace where his disciple Wu Chaoyue shot Wei Changhui to death, Zeng Guofan was both proud and disappointed. Of course, his students were successful and gave him face. What was disappointed was that his eldest disciple Jiang Zhongyuan overthrew Feng Yunshan, and his younger disciple Wu Chaoyue killed Wei Changhui, and together they became famous all over the world with military fame. However, he, a teacher, has done nothing in military affairs and has been completely compared by the two students.

In fact, the reason why Zeng Guofan decided to handle the troupe training was not only unwilling to be silent and obedient for three years, but also the greater reason was that Zeng Guofan really wanted to make a difference in military affairs and become a famous Confucian general in history. As early as the end of the second year of Xianfeng, Zeng Guofan had already submitted a memorial to ask for a position as the troupe training assistant in Hunan, and immediately began to form the famous Hunan Army in later generations.

Compared with student Wu Chaoyue, Zeng Guofan's biggest advantage in organizing a group training is that his connections are wide, his students have many disciples, and his relatives have many relatives and many clan members. Relying on complex interpersonal relationships such as masters and apprentices, relatives, friends, etc., it is easy to form a team of more than 5,000 people. His loyalty is also very guaranteed, and his military quality is also high compared to other places. The biggest shortcoming is training and weapons.

The problem with training is not very big. Just based on the "New Book of Ji Xiao" and "Strange Soldiers" left by Qi Jiguang, Zeng Guofan believed that as long as he gave himself some time, he would definitely be able to train an elite and powerful soldier who swept the world. Everyone knows that Zeng Guofan did this in history.

Only weapons made Zeng Guofan worry. Although he was not as superstitious as his student Wu Chaoyue, Zeng Guofan, who had the idea of ​​opening up, knew that it was impossible to win the battle with bows, arrows, swords and spears. There were also the most advanced firearms, bird guns and gun-carrying Taiping Army. Even if the same equipment was used, it would be a draw. Therefore, Zeng Guofan still focused on foreign guns and cannons and sent people to Guangzhou to purchase foreign guns and cannons. At the same time, Zeng Guofan also wrote a letter to comprador student Wu Chaoyue, asking Wu Chaoyue to help him find out the prices of foreign guns and cannons in Shanghai, so as to compare with the arms prices in Guangzhou and save money.

The waterway was blocked, and Zeng Guofan's messenger could only go to Shanghai by land to contact Wu Chaoyue, which took a long time. So it was not until mid-April of the third year of Xianfeng that the messenger returned to Xiangtan, the Hunan Army's garrison with Wu Chaoyue's reply. As a result, Zeng Guofan, who had always liked to supervise and train his soldiers himself, happened to be not on the school ground. The messenger could only ask Zeng Guofan's whereabouts. Zeng Guofan's ninth brother Zeng Guoquan, knew that Zeng Guoquan, who was in the barracks, happened to have some military affairs to report to Zeng Guofan, so he personally took the messenger to pay homage to Zeng Guofan.

When he entered the barracks, Zeng Guofan was writing quickly beside the desk. Zeng Guoquan spoke and was still stopped by Zeng Guofan, who was in the process of entering the state. Zeng Guoquan, who knew his elder brother's temper, had no choice but to sit aside and wait. As a result, after waiting for a long time, Zeng Guofan finally put down his brush, breathed a long sigh, and then smiled at Zeng Guoquan: "Yuanpu, come and see, how is this anti-threat manifesto for brother?"

"A manifesto to fight against the thief?"

Zeng Guoquan was stunned and quickly stepped forward to pick up Zeng Guofan's new work to appreciate it. He saw dragons and phoenixes flying on rice paper, and iron painted silver hooks. It was a true proclamation for the crimes of the Taiping Army. The article titled "The Edict for the Anti-Guangdong Thieves". The writing style is like a knife, which lists the various crimes of the Taiping Army, and is righteous and righteous, and vigorously arouses the hatred of the scholars of the world towards the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom. It is exciting to read, and the sound lingers around the beams and continues for three days. Zeng Guoquan couldn't help but shout loudly and said, "Okay! Good article! Brother's literary talent, I didn't expect that it has made great progress to this point, and I admire it!"

"Yuanpu, why have you learned to flatter you?" Zeng Guofan smiled and accused Zeng Guoquan of being too much of a compliment, and asked again: "Yuanpu, in your opinion, what else does this manifesto need to be changed?"

"No need, why do you need to change your literary talent?" Zeng Guoquan continued to flatter, and then asked in confusion: "But brother, we have not mastered the soldiers yet, and we have not decided to send troops to attack Changmao. What did you write the manifesto so early?"

"On a whim, my hands were itchy for a moment, so I couldn't help but write it first." Zeng Guofan smiled and said, "Prepare it first. When our army goes to fight against the thieves, we will immediately spread this manifesto to the world, and call on the literati from all over the world to help our army break the hair together."

Both the descendant of Zeng Sheng and the future famous general, Zeng Guoquan is not much inferior to his brother in terms of scheming and strategy. So after hearing Zeng Guofan's words, he pondered and savored. Zeng Guoquan quickly understood his brother's true intention and slapped his thigh and said happily: "Brother is smart, this move is great!"

"Where is the wonder?" Zeng Guofan asked with a smile.

"Brother, why do you have to ask me knowingly?" Zeng Guoquan laughed loudly, first looking at the left and right, and then whispered: "Of course, it is to seize the moral high ground, establish the status of the world's cultivation and commander of brother, you and our Xiangyong, and also give the court and the emperor a reassurance, so that they know that we are just raising an army to defeat Changmao, and have no different intentions."

Zeng Guofan's smile was a little proud, and Zeng Guoquan's smile also had some treacherousness, and he whispered: "Since Changmao's rise, although officials and gentry have basically handled group training in various provinces, prefectures and counties in the Qing Dynasty have basically handled group training to help the country fight against the thieves, but they all fought on their own, with few liaisons and no leaders. Brother, you are the first in the world. The proclamation calls for literati from all over the world to help you fight against the thieves, which is equivalent to robbing the thieves. Even if you can't command the local group training as an arm, you still have the moral superiority. Whether it is a court or a local group training, you will be considered as the backbone of the thieves. You are the chief commander of the thieves, and you will be of great benefit to your brother."

"Also, the more important thing is to make the court and the emperor feel at ease to us." Zeng Guoquan said treacherously: "Manchus are suspicious of the Han people and never let us Han people take control of heavy troops. Brother, you will form five thousand brave men this time. The court and the emperor will also force a Tazibu in to mix sand and secretly monitor our army. If you want to expand the scale of the army in the future, it will be extremely difficult. But once this manifesto is issued, the emperor and the court will definitely think that our army is just to fight the thief. Brother, you have no different intentions towards the court. Even if you are not willing to feel at ease, you will definitely not make things difficult and strictly limit the scale of our army. Brother, are you right? "

After looking at Zeng Guoquan, Zeng Guofan smiled but did not answer, and just asked, "Why are you here to urge the training camp to do if you are not in the school ground?"

"I have to report to you brother." Zeng Guoquan first showed the official documents in his hand and said, "Also, the messenger we are going to contact Wu Chaoyue is back."

Zeng Guofan nodded, while casually looking through the documents brought by Zeng Guoquan, he casually ordered the messenger to come in. Then he asked the messenger who had been waiting for a lot of time: "Have you seen Wu Daotai? What do he have to say?"

"Report to the Ministry Hall, Wu Daotai asked the villain to greet you, and said that he was plagued by military affairs and government affairs and could not go to Xiangtan to pay his respects to you in person. I hope you will forgive me for your crimes."

Zeng Guofan was extremely satisfied with the respect of his disciples. When asked about the price of arms again, the messenger quickly took out Wu Chaoyue's reply and said, "Report to the Ministry Hall, Wu Daotai asked the young man to bring you a reply, and there is also a list of gun prices for Western countries. Wu Daotai also said that as long as you need the Ministry Hall, he can order from foreigners immediately. If the Ministry Hall is difficult to raise the military expenses here, he can pay for you first."

Hearing this, not only Zeng Guofan smiled happier and satisfied, but Zeng Guoquan couldn't help but praise: "No, brother, you are a pretty good student, you are much better than your other disciples."

"Who said his grandfather was a famous rich man in Guangdong?" Zeng Guofan smiled and said, "But it is indeed rare for him to have this filial piety."

"By the way, the ministry, the little one almost forgot a big thing." The messenger took out a scroll from his arms and said respectfully: "Wu Daotai issued a "Announcement on the robbers of Guangdong" in Shanghai, counting all kinds of crimes of long hair, calling on the literati from all over the world to work together to join the army to help him fight against the long hair. The small one brought it back and asked you to correct it. He also said that if you are convenient for the ministry, please help him spread this manifesto in Hunan."

Before the messenger finished speaking, Zeng Guofan's face had changed color, and the official document in his hand fell to the ground without realizing it. Zeng Guoquan's face changed drastically. He quickly stepped forward to grab the manifesto, opened it and looked at it for a few glances. Zeng Guoquan was completely stunned and murmured, "My God! There is such a coincidence in the world? Brother, can you believe it? Not only is the title of this manifesto exactly the same as your manifesto, but it is almost the same as the content?"

With his hands trembling, he took the manifesto issued by the student first. When he lowered his head and read it carefully, Zeng Guofan wiped his eyes several times to make sure he was not wrong, and he pinched his thighs several times to confirm whether he was dreaming. He couldn't help but recite the essence of it in a low voice, "The king and minister, father and son, upper and lower, superior and inferior, and order is as strong as a crown and footsteps that cannot be reversed..."

"Preface the Chinese rituals, righteousness, human ethics, poetry and calligraphy for thousands of years, once they are swept away. This is not only the change of the Qing Dynasty, but also the strange change of famous religion since its inception. The place where I, Confucius and Mencius cried bitterly in Jiuyuan. Anyone who reads and reads can sit down and sit down without thinking about what to do...?"

"This Taoist master is weak and capable, and only relies on the word "loyalty and trustworthiness" as the foundation of the march. There are sun and moon above, ghosts and gods below, and there are the vast water of the Yangtze River. There are the souls of all the loyal ministers and martyrs who died in the past. I really understand my heart and listen to my words. The edicts come to the law and order, and there is no suddenness...!"

After reading this, Zeng Guofan almost blew a mouthful of blood on Wu Chaoyue's manifesto, screaming in his heart, "Good student! It's really a good student! Not only did you think of something with me, but your movements are much faster and much faster than my teacher! Good student, I am really my favorite student. I accepted you as a student, it's really, really..."

"It's really bad for eight lifetimes!"

…………

Although I didn't want to submit Wu Chaoyue's shameless "Anti-Chapter of the Guangdong Thief" to Emperor Xianfeng, I had no choice but to know that Wu Chaoyue had special channels to let Emperor Xianfeng see this manifesto, so after receiving the copy of Wu Chaoyue's version of "Anti-Chapter of the Guangdong Thief" submitted by the local government in Jiangsu, Mu Yin, who finally returned to the Military Affairs Office, obediently handed the memorial to Emperor Xianfeng, helping Wu Chaoyue to please Emperor Xianfeng's favor against his will.

Then, the repeated slander of the Eight Banners men turned into a bubble. Originally, under the instigation of the Manchu and Mongolian princes, Emperor Xianfeng seriously considered whether to put more eyeliners around Wu Chaoyue to secretly monitor him. However, after seeing the Piaoxiang Qiwen who was written by Zhao Liewen, Emperor Xianfeng not only temporarily gave up this idea, thinking that it would be enough to continue to let his father-in-law serve as a military supervisor for the loyal Wu Chaoyue. He also smiled and said, "I didn't expect Wu Aiqing to think of this point. It's true that everyone can kill him. Wu Aiqing came to the banner of righteousness to call on the literati from all over the world to fight against the thieves. I feel so comforted, and I feel so comforted."

If it weren't for the Eight Banners' Kings and Dukes' firm opposition, and because Wu Chaoyue's official position was really small, Emperor Xianfeng almost wanted to use the imperial court report to spread Wu Chaoyue's manifesto to the world, helping Wu Chaoyue expand his influence and increase his reputation. But even though he was firmly stopped by the Eight Banners' masters, Emperor Xianfeng still issued an order: "Transfer to my oral order and tell Wu Aiqing that I have seen his "Anti-Online to Defend the Guangdong Bandits" and written well. Ask him to do what the manifesto said, train his elite soldiers earlier, and fight the battle before winning the battle. I will never be stingy!"

After saying that, Emperor Xianfeng, who felt that the verbal reward was not enough, also issued a special order to grant Wu Chaoyue a title of third-class chariot and cavalry lieutenant. The Eight Banners Prince, Senggelinqin and others kowtowed in dejectedly, and they all cursed in their hearts, "Go Man, the skill of flattery is getting more and more!"

…………

It was Zhao Liewen's idea to issue the "Anti-Chapter of Guangdong" to seize the commanding heights of moral high ground. Wu Chaoyue never intervened at all and allowed Zhao Liewen to make trouble. He stared at two major events: recruit training and bitter sour weapons development. Fortunately, more than 200 veterans were the backbone, and Wu Chaoyue no longer needed to participate in the training of recruits throughout the process. At the same time, with the help of Huang Sheng and Gong Zhenlin's subordinates, the weapon development matter gradually got on track. Wu Chaoyue's concern here is how to achieve technical breakthroughs.

Bitter sour grenades are easy to solve. If you pour out the black gunpowder in the bullet barrel, paint a layer of paint on the wall of the tube and apply a layer of paraffin to fill it with picric acid, the first experiment was successful. At the same time, it was not difficult to produce by yourself. It is not a big problem to produce by yourself in small quantities. The most difficult thing is the mortar and grenade launcher. Originally, Wu Chaoyue had a great appetite and wanted to create these two weapons at the same time, but when he really started to research and manufacture, Wu Chaoyue realized that he was thinking too simple. Not to mention mortars, even the simplest grenade launcher was not that easy.

The body of the grenade canister is not difficult to create. Wu Chaoyue also clearly remembers that there is a metal impact rod in the tube to fire the tail fire. The difficulty is the bottom fire and fuse of the shell. Wu Chaoyue racked his brains and couldn't think of any way to make a fire that would get angry as soon as he hits. At the same time, he must ensure a safe bottom fire, and even more complex trigger fuses. He tried fifty or sixty methods but failed to succeed. Finally, when Wu Chaoyue was in despair, Huang Sheng found the ideal thickness of the thin copper skin wrapped in the package through repeated experimental research, and created a fire hat that ensured a certain sensitivity and was relatively safe, barely achieving the first successful launch.

The bottom fire was barely solved, but Wu Chaoyue and Huang Sheng had no choice but to use the flowering fire shell delay fuse he bought from the British, and finally used the first flowering fire shell to shoot out the first flowering fire shell with a grenade launcher. In order to be safe, Wu Chaoyue deliberately reduced the charge amount of black gunpowder shells.

After finally achieving this success, Wu Chaoyue's first thing was to lie on the ground and spread his limbs, and said to Huang Sheng and others weakly: "I'll leave the next one to you. I'll find a way to get me the chorionic cannonballs as soon as possible, and then find a way to mass-produce them."

He looked at Wu Chaoyue who was completely exhausted and paralyzed with sympathy. Huang Sheng first agreed honestly, and then carefully suggested to Wu Chaoyue: "Weiting, why not invite some foreign weapon experts to help us, otherwise, I wouldn't be very sure to get the grenade launcher and mortar you want."

"Will the secret of bitterness be exposed?" Wu Chaoyue asked weakly.

"Isn't it enough to not let them participate in picy and sour things?" Huang Sheng asked back, and said, "As long as the foreigners get us out of the cannon body and shells, we quietly change the gunpowder in the shells. Why do we have to work behind closed doors? It's time-consuming and labor-intensive and progressing slowly?"

After thinking carefully, he felt that Huang Sheng's words made sense. Wu Chaoyue nodded, then sat up and said, "Let's do this, open a bounty of flowers and ask foreign experts to help us study grenade launchers and mortars. You can do this. As long as you succeed, you can spend as much money."

Huang Sheng agreed and immediately went to the concession to find ways to contact weapons research experts from Europe and the United States. Wu Chaoyue sat down and kicked the grenade launcher that was finally cast but was absolutely dissatisfied with, and cursed: "I don't believe it anymore. During the War of Resistance Against Japan, I can build grenade launchers with nothing. I have foreigners here to help, and I will not be able to make your broken thing?"

When he was depressed that he had not learned weapon manufacturing well before, the captain Wu Dasai suddenly came to Wu Chaoyue, handed a document to Wu Chaoyue, and said, "Young Master Sun, Liu Lichuan just sent someone to deliver it."

After taking the official document casually, he opened it, and only looked at it a few times, Wu Chaoyue widened his eyes and blurted out: "Counterattack Zhenjiang? Liu Ayuan is crazy. With his little man and his virtue, how dare he follow Yang Wending to counterattack Zhenjiang?"

"Uncle Yuan wants to follow Yang Wending to counterattack Zhenjiang?" Wu Dasai was also shocked.
Chapter completed!