In the eighth year of Tongzhi (1869), Peng Yulin told the old man to return to his hometown, as he himself said to the imperial court: "The subject is silent and good, the family is happy, the sex is not delayed, and the wind and waves are in the midst of the waves all year round, although he has not moved to the shore for a day, the subjects have started with the cold soldiers, and are willing to return with the cold soldiers." ”
In 1816, Peng Yulin was born in Hengyang, Hunan Province, a family of officials and eunuchs, more than 70 years of life, not seeking fame and fortune, not avoiding the powerful, not ruling private property, not concubines, very legendary.
Weak scholar Shou Qiyang
When Peng Yulin was 16 years old, his father died of illness, and Peng Yulin began to support his family on his own. Later, he came to Leiyang, Hunan Province, to work in a wealthy merchant surnamed Yang. There was a sudden peasant uprising on the outskirts of Leiyang County, and when the rich merchants heard that they were going to attack leiyang city, they were so frightened that they rolled up and walked away, and when they were leaving, they said to Peng Yulin in a smooth manner: "Can you help me see home?" ”
Peng Yulin agreed.
Later, it was said that the rebel army had entered the city, and all the neighbors around them ran away, so Peng Yulin did not leave. Others said that he was in a hurry, the soldiers and horses were in a hurry, the others had run away, and you were still stupid. Peng Yulin replied, if I didn't promise him, then it would be okay, but I promised him, and I resolutely refused to leave.
A gentleman promises a thousand gold weights. Later, the rebel army did not attack the city.
The second time there was news that the rebel army had entered the city, this time the rebel army really entered the city, Peng Yulin sent the weapons of the treasury, opened the weapons of the armory, organized the local soldiers and civilians, and defended the city. Peng Yulin is not only a little out of his mind in martial arts, but also has a good kung fu, especially a one-handed sword technique. He actually led the people to defend the city of Leiyang.
Everyone was amazed that a weak scholar could have such skill.
Zeng Guofan "Three Gu Maolu"
Zeng Guofan, who was practicing in Hengyang, Hunan Province, heard about Peng Yulin and sighed: "Talent." ”
Zeng Guofan felt that Peng Yulin's gentleman had promised a thousand gold and had real ability to defend a dangerous city, so he decided to invite Peng Yulin out of the mountain and decided to personally invite him.
The first time Zeng Guofan visited Peng Yulin's house, he saw only a hut with four walls and only shelter from the wind and rain. However, Peng Yulin made his eyes light up, his sword eyebrows were clear, calm and calm, the jade tree was windy, and Zeng Guofan was impressed at first sight. However, he did not expect that Peng Yulin would categorically refuse his request to go out of the mountain, and the second time he went to ask for it, Peng Yulin once again refused on the grounds that he was at home guarding his mother's funeral.
Peng Yulin has adhered to his faith all his life and has always been unswerving, and is a typical Confucian traditional knowledgeist. The third time, Zeng Guofan talked with him all night, the rise and fall of the family country and the world, the righteousness of a gentleman, Peng Yulin was touched by Zeng Guofan's feelings of "the rise and fall of the world, and the pifu has a responsibility", and finally gladly agreed, but only put forward conditions, not officials.
After that, Peng Yulin accompanied the Xiang Army's water division in the conquest of Xiangtan, Yuezhou, Hukou, Zongyang, Jiuhuanzhou, Dongba and other places, and gradually became the commander of the Xiang Army's water division. Peng Yulin and Zeng Guofan planned the establishment of the Yangtze River Water Division, laid the initial structure and foundation of the Chinese Water Division, and formed the earliest significance of the Navy in China's modern history.
He resigned as a high-ranking official 6 times
At that time, there was a popular saying: Li Hongzhang desperately wanted to become an official, and Peng Yulin desperately wanted to resign.
Peng Yulin resigned as the inspector of Anhui in 1861 and resigned three times in a row; in 1865, he resigned three times and was short of the governor of Caoyun, and the reasons given were "in addition to not understanding Cao zheng, but also his temperament was urgent, and he would not get along with all parties"; in 1868, he resigned as a military attendant for six or seven years, because "when he was in the army, the three years of mother's funeral were only kept for one year, and now the country is stable, and he should be disarmed and returned to the field"; in 1872, after the marriage of the Tongzhi Emperor, the imperial court asked him to be "acting military attendant and minister of the celebration palace gate", and wait until the end of the celebration. Peng Yulin resigned; in 1881, Peng Yulin resigned as governor of Liangjiang and minister of trade and commerce in Nanyang.
According to statistics, Peng Yulin resigned from high-ranking officials 6 times and minor officials 18 times in his life, but once, he actually took the initiative to "ask for officials."
In 1882, the imperial court appointed Peng Yulin as The Shoshu of the Bingbu, which is today's Minister of National Defense. However, as in the past, Peng resigned immediately after receiving the order, and this time the imperial court was iron-hearted and urged several times, but Peng Yulin repeatedly asked for resignation. The following year, the Sino-French War broke out, and unexpectedly, a few months later, Peng Yulin took the initiative to ask: Is the position of Shangshu of the Bingbu still there? Give it to me in the words, and I will be.
Soldiers believe in the shroud of Ma Ge, and Peng Yulin only wants to do practical things, vowing to defend his family and defend the country and die on the battlefield.
At this time, Peng Yulin was 68 years old, and he was in danger of being ordered to immediately recruit more than 4,000 troops and garrison near Humen. Sitting in The Zhenhai Tower in Guangzhou, dispatching troops and generals, renovating forts, and setting up regimental training, Guangdong's defense was rapidly strengthened, and he advised the imperial court: "If we try to strengthen ourselves this time, all countries will not dare to have the heart to despise China!" ”
Although the martyrs are twilight, their hearts are strong.
Although the French army had not yet invaded Guangdong, Peng Yulin did not slacken his efforts to supervise military affairs. Chinese New Year's Eve of the tenth year of Guangxu (1884), after Peng Yulin inspected the haikou in Guangzhou, he and the soldiers at the Humen Shajiao Fort "slept in a good mood and waited in a strict position", and he boldly used Feng Zicai, the former governor of Guangxi, to recommend his troops to enter the Guanguan and enter the Vietnamese campaign, and won the great victories of Zhennanguan and Langshan.
The Victory of Zhennanguan in the anti-aggression war in China's modern history was one of the battles with outstanding achievements and dealt a heavy blow to the French aggressors. The news reached Paris, leading to the downfall of Joffrey's cabinet. However, when the time came, the Qing government signed an unequal treaty with France in the case of Ming's victory, and at this time Peng Yulin advised the imperial court that peace must not be negotiated, and listed five major reasons. However, after the final peace, Peng Yulin looked up at the sky and sighed!
"Peng Qingtian" painting plum
After Zeng Guofan's death, Peng Yulin was ordered to inspect the Yangtze River once a year.
On his first tour of the Yangtze River, he removed Admiral Huang Yisheng and impeached more than two hundred sailors, who were in good order under his rectification, which set a good example for the later Chinese Navy. During Peng Yulin's inspection, he not only impeached the officials of the water division, but also punished the local tycoons and inferior gentry on both sides of the Yangtze River. Li Hongzhang's cousin and nephew oppressed the people in the township, and was eventually beheaded by Peng Yulin himself.
Peng Yulin had a nephew who had served as a prefect, and he was killed by him for missing a military plane, and Peng Yulin was overwhelmed with sorrow. People compared him to Bao Zheng, a Great Qing official of the Song Dynasty, calling him "Peng Qingtian".
When Peng Yulin was a teenager, she fell in love with a woman, and Peng Yulin called her Xiaogu Mei. Green plum bamboo horse, gambling book pouring tea, ear sideburns grinding, lights in front of the moon. Peng Yulin swore that in this life, she would not marry Sister Mei. But Providence tricked people, and their marriage was strongly opposed by Peng Yulin's mother; Mei Xiaogu saw the situation and could not bear Peng Yulin's embarrassment, so she had to tear up in her heart and let her family marry her to someone else.
But I didn't expect that Aunt Mei was married for less than 4 years and ended up depressed.
In front of Mei Xiaogu's tomb, Peng Yulin once had all his thoughts gray, his body and mind were broken, and he cried and groaned: His lifelong confidant is a plum blossom. When Zeng Guofan visited Peng Yulin's home, he saw that although Peng Yulin's family was surrounded by walls, it was full of plum blossoms. For the rest of his life, Peng Yulin only practiced swords, wrote poetry, and painted.
He painted plum blossoms for half a century and missed her all his life. He didn't even have a beard in his life, only one veteran took care of him, and he was called "the most obsessed high-ranking official in history".
In 1890, Peng Yulin died of a commoner's illness at the age of 75.
Excerpt from | "Leadership Digest" December 2021
Source of the manuscript | "Literature and History Expo and People"
This article is written by | Tianshu
Responsible Editor | Jing Ning
WeChat Editor | Young