It was very troublesome to see foreigners, and the etiquette during the meeting alone gave Han Xiufeng a headache for an afternoon.

The first official visit, and it is on behalf of Futai, Zhentai and several Taoist platforms, whether to bring some greeting gifts. It's impossible not to greet people after seeing it, whether it's to bow, to bow, or to learn from foreigners tiptoe and touch the brim of their hats...... After thinking about it for a long time, he didn't come up with a reason, he didn't come back after selling chickens, and he couldn't even find anyone to discuss, Han Xiufeng simply didn't prepare anything, so he changed into a clean green cloth gown, called Lin Qingyuan and Yang Nengge's long-term entourage Ding Gui, and went to the English Concession under the support of Datou, Chen Hu and others, who also changed into civilian clothes.

Unexpectedly, as soon as he went out, Ding Gui caught up and asked, "Master Han, why are you wearing this?" We're just going to go? ”

Han Xiufeng stopped and said, "How do you think I should dress, how do you think we should go?" ”

"You are the overseer of the fifth grade, so you naturally have to wear an official uniform." Thinking of the master's explanation, Ding Gui frowned again and said: "Besides, the official master can't travel without a guard of honor, like you, you don't take a sedan chair, you don't play an umbrella, and you don't even have to be bad at opening the street in front of you, not to mention that you will be looked down upon by foreigners, and even those people will not take you in their eyes!" ”

"Are you saying that I should go back and change into official clothes, hire a sedan chair, and find some people to sound the gong and open the way?"

"It should be like this, if you go like this, not only will you be looked down upon by foreigners, but it will also damage my Qing Dynasty body!"

Han Xiufeng thought to himself that it was really close to Zhu and red and black to ink, what kind of master there is, what kind of family there is, looked back at the foreign gun team that was patrolling not far away, and asked in a low voice: "Ding Gui, do you know where this is, do you know where the other side of the river is?" ”

"You know, this side is the Citi Concession, and the other side is the English Concession."

"Then do you know that we can come to the foreigners' concessions, and the chaotic parties can come?"

"Master Han, don't scare me."

"I'm really not scaring you, let's put it this way, we sent someone to find out the news of the chaotic party in the concession, and the chaotic party will send spies to find out about our movements. What's more, we are all newcomers, and most of the eyes and ears of the chaotic party are local snakes. If we had gone to the English Consulate for a banquet as you had just said, they would not have missed this opportunity. The safety of my Han Xiufeng is small, but if I really plant it in the hands of the chaotic party, it will affect the morale of the rebel army! ”

Seeing that the general surnamed Ding was suspicious, Lin Qingyuan, who had already seen him unpleasantly, couldn't help but say: "Brother Ding, if you think that Master Han is detrimental to the national body by going like this, then we will quickly hire a sedan chair, find more people, and come according to the honor guard of the fifth master." It's just that the safety of Master Han is not only related to the morale of the army in the rebellion, but also to the face of the imperial court, so naturally he can't risk himself. Why don't you change into Master Han's official uniform and take a sedan chair, we will walk behind, wait until we reach the English Consulate, and then change back into the official uniform. ”

Although Ding Gui was arrogant, he was not stupid, but he didn't want to die in the hands of the chaotic party, so he asked without thinking: "I'm not Master Han's family, why do you let me wear Master Han's official uniform to take a sedan chair?" ”

"Because Master Han has a noble status, he can't risk his life!"

"Master Han's status is noble, so naturally he can't risk his life. What is your identity, why don't you change into Master Han's official uniform and take a sedan chair? ”

"I'm a translator, if I have three long and two short, who will help Master Han negotiate with foreigners at that time?"

"The surname is Lin, what do you mean by that? Feelings are precious to your life, as long as you can't have an accident, my Ding Gui's life is worthless, even if he dies in the hands of the chaotic party, it's okay? ”

"Brother Ding, don't get me wrong, I'm all for the face of the court!"

Seeing that Ding Gui wanted to have a seizure but didn't dare to attack in front of those foreigners patrolling nearby, Han Xiufeng said lightly: "Don't say it, let's go, just go." We're going to a banquet, not a formal visit, so we don't need to pay attention to those red tapes. ”

Thinking that the lord did not wear official clothes when he went to the banquet in the capital, but just hired a sedan chair or hired a car, Ding Gui said stupidly: "I almost forgot that this is a banquet, Master Han is right, you don't need to be so polite with foreigners, and you don't need to pay attention to those red tape." ”

……

The Provincial Department was occupied by the rebellious party, and the officials and officials who used to be on errands in the Provincial Department did not die at the hands of the party. When Liu Lichuan led people to rush into the provincial office at that time, he didn't even embarrass them, so they not only escaped from the city, but also gathered there a few days ago

"Selling chickens" subordinates.

Now that the governor has arrived, not only can he no longer be a Taoist platform, but he also has to recruit young and strong men to attack the city with the new county prince Sun Feng.

Yang Nengge was worried that there was no one to use under his subordinates, not only did he accept all of them, but also asked several friends to inquire about the situation of the party in detail, confirming that the party not only sent many eyes and ears to the concession, but also frequently contacted those illegal foreign businessmen to buy foreign guns, guns, gunpowder, grain and oil and other military materials, and immediately summoned the old officials of the torture room and the local team leaders who came to defect, and ordered them to gather reliable people, disguise themselves and go to the concession to arrest the chaotic party, and each one of the chaotic parties was rewarded with five taels of silver!

The governor brought so many officers and soldiers, and the army had just arrived and won a battle, Gu Afu, the old official of the torture room, and those officials felt that the party would not be able to jump for a few days, how could they miss this opportunity to make a fortune, and they were ready to fight like chicken blood.

Sending away those servants, Yang Nengge looked at Qiao Songnian who came to visit him and said with a smile: "Jianhou, do you see it, there will be a brave man under the heavy reward!" ”

Qiao Songnian knew very well that it was not a trivial matter to go to the concession to get people, but thinking that he was on the rise, if he objected, he might be put on a big hat of losing power and humiliating the country, so he could only smile and say: "Every time you get a rebellious party, you will be rewarded with five taels of silver, how can they not have to die." But where did the money come from, and what if they were innocent? ”

"Jianhou, do I still have to worry about silver with you?" Yang Nengge asked rhetorically, and said confidently: "As for whether those servants will affect the innocent, you can rest assured." I just ordered them to lock up the rebels, as long as they live and don't die. Whether they are taking the rebellious party or innocent people, when the time comes, the detailed interrogation will be clear. ”

Qiao Songnian thought to himself that if he waited for those servants to send people to you, even if they were innocent, they would be beaten first, but these words could only be put in his heart, and he simply talked about the silver: "Lord Yang, you just said that you don't have to worry about the silver if you have a lower official, which really makes the lower official embarrassed." ”

"Jianhou, what do you mean by that?"

"Lord Yang, you may not believe it, the treasury of my Songjiang Mansion is now empty, and the army doesn't know how to pay for it, and I don't know how to explain it to the grain station. The Mutual Aid Provincial Department is really more than enough but not enough. Looking at Yang Nengge's unhappy appearance, Qiao Songnian arched his hand and said: "I can't hide it, the lower officials came to see the adults because of this matter." ”

"Jianhou, so you came to ask me for silver?" Yang Nengge stared at Qiao Songnian and asked.

"Lord Yang, you are new here, how can you have silver!"

"I thought you didn't know."

"The lower official knows that you don't have any silver here, but the lower official knows where the silver is."

"Where?" Yang Nengge asked subconsciously.

"There are taxes at the Jiang Customs, and the taxes owed by the merchants of England and France and the taxes collected by the consuls of England and France these days add up to two or three hundred thousand taels. You were ordered to negotiate with foreigners in danger, and if you can get your taxes back, do you still have to worry about the silver? ”

Although Songjiang Mansion is rich, but the taxes are also high, not to mention that Jiading, Qingpu and other counties and Chuansha Hall have just been occupied by the chaotic party, Yang Nengge is not a very unreasonable person, he knows very well that Qiao Songnian really can't take out the silver, and he was silent for a while before he whispered: "The matter of negotiating with foreigners, this official is doing it." ”

"Dare to ask Lord Yang, how do you plan to negotiate with foreigners."

"Didn't the foreign minister and consul send someone to send an invitation in the afternoon, to invite Futai, Zhentai and the official to have a drink, the official has ordered Han Xiufeng, the superintendent of the Jiang Customs, to go to the banquet on his behalf, and asked him to bring the official's handwritten letter."

"Lord Yang, can Han Xiufeng do such a big thing?"

"If you can do it, you can't do it, let's see if you can do it first." Yang Nengge beckoned Qiao Songnian to sit down, and said with a smile: "What's more, what he brought was only a few letters, not my Su Songtaidao's official documents." If the foreigner does not return the tax after reading the letter, the Japanese official will transfer the document to negotiate again. ”

Qiao Songnian wanted to ask him why he didn't go to the foreigners, but he didn't want to see the foreigners and simply didn't ask, and he didn't know how to say it, Yang Nengge suddenly remembered something: "Jianhou, since the foreigners claim to be 'strictly neutral' and say that they don't help each other, then why do they still invite Futai, Zhentai and the official to have a drink?" ”

"Although the officials estimated that the foreigners said that they would not help each other, in fact, they still felt that the imperial court was orthodox, and whether it was the bandits or the chaotic parties in the city, they would not be able to become a climate."

"Even if they still have a little vision, whether it is bandits, or those chaotic parties in the city, it is only a matter of time before they are exterminated. It's just that since they know, why do they use the guise of not helping each other? ”

"Lord Yang, the lower officials think that foreigners are mercenary, and those foreign guns, cannons, gunpowder and other military assets are not given to bandits and those chaotic parties in the city for free, but sold to bandits and rebels at a high price. If it's profitable, why don't they do it? ”

"Just for money?"

"Nine times out of ten."

"If it's just for money, it's easy to do, whether it's a bandit or a party, and they don't have a cornucopia, the little silver they looted will eventually be spent. When the money of the bandits and the party is spent, those mercenary foreigners will naturally not sell them foreign guns and cannons. ”

"What Lord Yang said is extremely true." Although Qiao Songnian said this, he was thinking in his heart that the more than 20,000 old thieves in Guangxi led by Lin Fengxiang and Li Kaifang had been killed to Zhili, and the long hair of the western criminals had also been killed under the city of Nanchang.

Yang Nengge didn't know what Qiao Songnian was thinking, and shook his fan and muttered: "'Selling chickens' is so good that foreigners are self-respecting, and foreigners may also be self-respecting." In other words, since the foreigners claim that they do not help each other, then they may invite us tonight, as well as Liu Lichuan and other bandit leaders. ”

Qiao Songnian was stunned and groaned, "It's really possible." ”

"If the foreigners really invite Liu Lichuan and other bandit leaders, it will be up to Han Xiufeng."

"Lord Yang, how do you say this?"

"Eat the king's luck, share the king's worries. If the foreigners also invited Liu Lichuan and other bandit leaders, he Han Xiufeng should serve Ban Chao and kill him, even if he falls short and splatters blood in five steps, it will not be a good talk! ”

Qiao Songnian never thought that he would say this, secretly thinking that you are standing and talking without backache, you are not the same as the king of the king to share the worries of the king, since you know that foreigners may invite Liu Lichuan and other rebellious parties, why don't you go to follow Banchao and kill the captives through the ages?

However, these words can still only be put in my heart, and I can only secretly pray that Han Si will never run into Liu Lichuan and other chaotic parties, if he meets and does nothing, he will come back like this, and the surname Yang will be impeached nine times out of ten. At the same time, he secretly made up his mind that in the future, he must stay away from the surnamed Yang, otherwise even if he is not killed by him, he will be drowned by the spit of him and the group of empty talk and misguided countries that he befriended.

What made him cry and laugh even more was that the more Yang Nengge thought about it, the more uneasy he became, and he actually got up and said: "Guan Cheng, you hurry up to the English Consulate to find Ding Gui, and if you don't know the way, quickly find a guide who is familiar with the English Concession." ”

"Master, what about after you find Ding Gui?" A family member ran over and asked.

"Let him tell Supervisor Han that if the foreigners also invite Liu Lichuan and other bandit leaders, Ban Chao will kill them on the spot, and Liu Lichuan and other bandit leaders must not be allowed to return to the city alive!"

"Yes, the little one will go."