Water Window Spring Whisper

Author: Ouyang Zhaoxiong et al
Publisher:
Publish Date: 1997-12-01
Features:
Excerpt: Guangfu and Yisu were harmonious. He once said, "My two of us are vagrants who have not met with success, while our sons He and Fudi have achieved success. I take this as a sign of the decline of the Chen family in Xincheng. However, I was puzzled by his prediction that the world would soon be in great turmoil, and those who would quell the chaos were all in Sanxiang. At that time, the Cantonese rebels had not yet risen in action, yet he could foresee this. Then, it seems that the incident of the hairpin twist was already predetermined by heaven. Neither life nor death, nor success nor failure, were accidental. Fate is full of fortune and misfortune. In his later years, Wen Zheng strongly advocated the theory of fate, and indeed, it is a profound truth.
2. Zeng Wen Zheng's Story In the Xinyou year, in the Qimen army camp, the enemy's pressure grew daily, and the situation was extremely. At that time, Li Su Yi had already returned to his residence in Jiangxi, and the office had only one Cheng Shangqi, who was almost lifeless. He said to me, "I am doomed." The other officials also packed their belongings onto boats, planning to flee. One day, Wen Zheng suddenly issued an order: "Given the enemy's strength, if anyone wishes to temporarily return, they will be paid three months' salary. When the matter is resolved, they should return to the camp. I will not mind." The officials were moved and ashamed, and their morale strengthened. Later, when they moved eastward, they wanted to protect a governor of Jiangsu but found it difficult to find a suitable person. I suggested that Li Guangcai, with his unparalleled talent and courage, was capable of the job. Wen Zheng sighed and said, "This man is difficult to share hardship with." It seems there was still some grudge between them. In the end, no one in the office was better than Su Yi, and with his youthful vigor, he succeeded in capturing Suzhou. When the Taiping rebels were suppressed, the reputation of the Huaijin soldiers matched that of the Xiangjin soldiers. However, at the time of his success, Wen Zheng sought to withdraw, considering himself too old and weak to handle matters. He handed everything over and planned to step back. But after the recovery of Jinling, he never retired to the countryside or submitted a request to be reinstated. Given Wen Zheng's disdain for official positions, could he still be attached to anything? Or was it because he had received exceptional favor that he dared not speak of retirement or could not bear to speak of it? Yet, this was not his true intention.
3. Moving the Camp from Qimen In the three months after moving to Qimen, Wen Zheng suddenly wanted to attack Huizhou himself, and his persistence was unstoppable. He was sent to Qiyun Mountain and bid farewell. Upon arriving in Huizhou, they suffered a decisive defeat, and Vice General Ye Xiaohuo was killed in battle. Wen Zheng stayed in the city of Xiuyin, too ashamed and furious to return to the camp. He had already written a will and arranged for his affairs. The army was in chaos, unsure of what to do. He sent a letter to Wen Zheng, discussing the meaning of life and death, and the principles of advancing and retreating. It roughly said, "Death can be heavier than Mount Tai. Those who wish to die must seek a place to die. Xiuyin is not a place to die. Also, 'As the Governor of Jiangnan and Jiangxi, the land of Jiangnan and Jiangxi is all his. What is advancing? What is retreating? I believe that Qimen is surrounded by mountains and is an isolated place. It is better to retreat to Dongliu to oversee both the northern and southern banks. It is urgent to make plans early. Why should retreat be a shame?" After sending the letter, several days later he returned to the camp, and after another ten or so days, he moved his headquarters to Dongliu. There was not a single word of reply to the letter. It seems that he wanted to act on his own and did not take others' opinions into account. His unpredictability was like this. Wen Zheng was trapped in Qimen and refused to move the camp. Everyone in the office advised him that Qimen was not a place to die for the cause, but he smiled and said, "When He left Changzhou, his subordinates probably said the same thing." The others fell silent and had no argument.
4. Setting a Box to Collect Suggestions When Wen Zheng was in Huizhou, he placed a box where people could submit suggestions about local benefits and drawbacks without naming themselves. As a result, the practice of exposing others' faults became widespread. People were troubled by this and sought advice from an old lawyer. The old lawyer said, "Within three days, I will make it stop." The others were skeptical, but by the second day, the practice had indeed ceased.