Shanghai has not been at war for several years, and this Spring Festival is even more lively than in previous years. The foreigners only celebrate the foreign festival, but the Spring Festival makes the concession next to the county seat of Shanghai a little less flavorful.

It is precisely because there is no excitement in the city that Ren Yuer's every move of the "fake foreign woman" is particularly eye-catching, and things about her have become a topic of conversation after dinner.

Previously, she was only the daughter of the late Jiading Confucian instructor, and the sister-in-law of Lord Han, Shaoqing of Taifu Temple, who had been an official in Shanghai. A few years ago, Master Xue of Su Songliang Dao was transferred to Shanghai Dao, and Mrs. Daotai didn't know what ** soup she drank, so she offered to marry Jin Lan with her, and she became Xue Daotai's sister-in-law again!

On the sixth day of the new lunar year, she actually set up a banquet in the mansion like a foreigner, inviting the consuls, vice consuls, interpreters and major foreign companies of Britain, Buddhism, and the United States, not only eating and drinking with foreigners, talking and laughing, but also hugging and dancing with foreigners after eating.

This is no longer a disobedience to women's morals, it is simply immoral and shameless!

What's even more unbelievable is that she actually sent an invitation to Daotai, and Xue Daotai actually went to the banquet. Other civil and military officials are afraid of foreigners, and Xue Daotai actually fell for her, a "fake foreign woman", and gave up with foreigners, calling him brother and brother, and many well-educated people in the city felt that if this continued, Xue Daotai's future was worrying.

Ren Yuer didn't care what others thought, and didn't care what others said behind their backs, when she learned that the British missionary Baul was coming to visit, she immediately asked Lian'er to put Baul in the living room.

Liu Shanyang stood on the terrace on the second floor of the guild hall, looked at the bear children who chased Bao Er all the way here, and sighed lightly: "With a confidante like Yu'er, there is no regret in doing this!" ”

Zhou Xingyuan, who came here for the New Year after the Yamen was sealed, couldn't hear Liu Shanyang's words, and sighed: "For the sake of the fourth master, Miss Ren is out of the way, and she really doesn't hesitate to lose her reputation." ”

"She's not just for the fourth master, but also for the court." Liu Shanyang turned around and walked into the room, beckoning Zhou Xingyuan to sit down, and said solemnly: "It is said that a companion is like a tiger, and this is not false at all." When the emperor could use Ye Mingchen, Ye Mingchen was a loyal minister. But now, not only was he dismissed, but it also became a big joke of 'no war, no peace, no keep, no leaving', and he was taken away by foreigners, who would care if he lived or died? ”

"Mr. Liu, do you mean ......?"

"When the emperor used the 'Houyi Hall', Yu'er was a strange woman who did not hesitate to be famous and went deep into the tiger's den to find out the love. One day, when you don't need the 'Houyi Hall' or even get angry with the 'Houyi Tang', Yu'er is a cheap maid who fornicates with foreigners! ”

Zhou Xingyuan was taken aback: "There is a fourth master, not so much." ”

Thinking that Xiao Wuzi had intentionally or unintentionally mentioned those rumors about Ren Yuer in the city when he came yesterday, Liu Shanyang smiled bitterly: "Now everyone is drunk and I am sober alone, not to mention the capital, even Shanghai is a place where most of them are pedantic. They had already seen Yu'er unpleasant, and the reason why they forbearance before was because Yu'er had no father or mother, and she couldn't deal with a lonely woman. Now that Yu'er and Lord Xue's wife are married to Jin Lan, it's hard to say whether they will make a fuss about it. ”

"But Miss Ren is the same as the fourth master's sister-in-law!"

"The fourth master is far away in the capital, even if someone impeaches, he can push it off. No matter how impeached, it can't involve the fourth master, and if it doesn't involve the fourth master, that's Yu'er's business alone. The imperial court can cure the sins of civil and military officials, and it is difficult to cure the sins of a woman. ”

"According to what you say, Miss Ren's situation is a little bad!"

"Guangzhou was occupied by foreigners, not only did the matter not end, but also added a condition of compensation, the court naturally would not agree, so sooner or later the foreigners will sail north, and the court will fight with the foreigners sooner or later. If this battle can be won, Yu'er will have merit; If this battle is lost, someone will fall into the well and impeach Lord Xue for fornicating with foreigners, and Yu'er will be the culprit who helped thread the needle. ”

Liu Shanyang didn't think that the imperial court would really embarrass Ren Yu'er as a woman, but thinking that Ren Yu'er was indeed too flamboyant, thinking that those scholars in the city were eager to catch her and dip her in the pig cage, and then thinking that there were not a few people with red eyes Xue Huan, he couldn't help asking: "Mr. Liu, should we send a letter to the fourth master to remind him?" ”

"I've already mentioned this awakening to the fourth master," Liu Shanyang picked up the teacup, thought about it and said: "Lord Xue has not only arrived, but also met with the consuls of Britain, France, the United States and other countries under Yu'er's Zhang Luo. ”

"Then do you want to inquire about this situation?"

"To tell you the truth, the fourth master sent a letter, Xiao Wuzi sent it yesterday afternoon."

"What did the fourth master say?"

Liu Shanyang was about to speak, Su Jueming ran up from downstairs, held on to the door frame and said, "Mr. Liu, Bao Er is gone, Miss Ren heard that you have something important to discuss, and said that you will come over with a change of clothes." ”

"Didn't Bauer just come, why did he leave as soon as he came?"

"He has nothing else to do, as if they plan to preach somewhere the day after tomorrow, and ask Miss Ren if she is free."

"Oh, let's come in first, wait for Yu'er to come together."

……

The three of them sat and waited for a while, and Ren Yu'er changed into the clothes that Miss Guan Jia should wear and rushed over.

Without waiting for her to salute, Liu Shanyang picked up a letter from the case and got straight to the point: "Ladies and gentlemen, the fourth master said that the emperor ordered Huang Zonghan, the servant of the Criminal Department, to be the governor of Liangguang, and awarded the Qin Dispatch Pass to go to Guangdong to handle the affairs of the Yi, and the emperor also ordered our 'Houyitang' to send a few people who are familiar with both Guangdong and Yiqing to accompany him.

There are a few Cantonese translators in the hall, but none of them want to go. First, I am used to living a peaceful life, and I am unwilling to take risks again; Second, even if they go back, they can only serve under Lord Huang, but they can't be officials in this province, and they feel that there is no future for them to return to their hometown in Guangdong. ”

Zhou Xingyuan reacted and couldn't help asking: "Mr. Liu, is the fourth master planning to transfer people from us, and he plans to let a few of us go to Guangdong?" ”

"The fourth master didn't have this plan, the fourth master said that our 'Houyitang' was originally a yamen that was not in the economic system, and it was only an expedient measure to set it up back then. Now that the situation in Guangdong has changed abruptly, there is no need for the Guangdong semicolon to exist. simply let Brother Yunqing go to Guangdong with Lord Huang, and ordered the civil and military officials of all branches in Guangdong to be controlled by Lord Huang in the future. ”

"The fourth master plans to abolish the Guangdong branch?"

"It's not a dismissal, it's just a change of official."

Liu Shanyang paused, and then said: "Then there is our Shanghai branch, and everything will be up to Master Xue in the future." Xiamen, Fuzhou, and Ningbo will also be controlled by Lord Xue in the future. And we don't need to go into so much detail in the future, just find out when the British and French coalition forces will invade Zhili in the north. ”

"Listen to Lord Xue, do you want to report to the fourth master if you have any feelings?" Su Jueming asked with a bitter face.

"If Lord Xue asks us to report, we will report it, and if Lord Xue doesn't let us report it, we won't report it." Liu Shanyang paused, and then emphasized: "The fourth master made it very clear in the letter that the 'Houyi Hall' was originally from the imperial court, and it was not his, so please don't think about it." ”

"But ......"

"Don't, just follow the rules." Liu Shanyang didn't want to tell them that the fourth master was disheartened, he didn't want to tell them that the fourth master was planning for the worst, and he didn't want to tell them that the imperial court was bent on suppressing long hair, and he didn't take foreigners seriously at all, and he didn't even regard foreigners as enemies. ”

Ren Yu'er froze, hesitated for a while before asking in a low voice, "Mr. Liu, why did my fourth brother ask you to ask this?" ”

"Your fourth brother is also thinking about you, you are a woman after all, you can't show up like this again, not to mention that there is no errand here in Shanghai now. If you want to go back to Hai'an, I will ask Brother Zhou to send someone to send you back. If you want to go back to your hometown in Yangzhou, the fourth master will help you write a letter to Master Guo to ensure that no one dares to bully you after you go back. ”

Ren Yu'er didn't want to go back to Hai'an, let alone Yangzhou, so she couldn't help but look up and say, "Mr. Liu, I don't want to go anywhere, I'll stay here to help my fourth brother take care of the house." ”

Liu Shanyang didn't want to go around in circles with her, so he said bluntly: "Yu'er, you are knowledgeable, and you should understand the truth that people must have near-term worries if they have no foresight." So your fourth brother said in the letter that you can go anywhere, but you can't stay in Shanghai anymore! ”

"Why?"

"What do you say?" Liu Shanyang asked rhetorically.

Ren Yu'er didn't expect Liu Shanyang to ask like this, and after thinking for a while, she suddenly reacted, and couldn't help muttering: "You're right, I can go anywhere, but I can't stay here." ”

"The guild hall and the house behind it, I will help the fourth master watch it, and you will take all the money in the house. Jueming, if I remember correctly, there are still more than two thousand taels in the semicolon public account, you go back and take one thousand taels and hand it to Miss Ren. ”

"Yes, I'll pick it up later."

Ren Yu'er never thought that there would be this day, she bit her lip and thought for a long time, then suddenly raised her head and asked, "Mr. Liu, I can go, can I let Chrysanthemum and my brother stay here?" ”

"Yes, but they stay here, where can you go alone?"

"Go to the capital, I'll go find the fourth brother!"

"It's not appropriate."

"What's inappropriate?"

"Fourth Master...... The fourth master has sent all the people who can go back to his hometown, Cuihua has returned to Hai'an with two babies and Wang Qianli's family, is it not appropriate for you to go to the capital at this time. ”

Others may not be able to figure out why Han Xiufeng wants to drive people to his hometown, Ren Yu'er, who went to the foreigner consulate twice in three days, knows Han Xiufeng's good intentions very well, weighed it and resolutely said: "Mr. Liu, don't persuade me, the more I want to go at this time." As you know, not only do I know the English language, but I can also understand some French, and I will definitely be able to help when I go to the capital. ”

Seeing that Liu Shanyang was thoughtful, Ren Yu'er said eagerly: "What's more, there is something I have always wanted to do but I didn't have the opportunity to do." ”

"What's the matter?"

"Lian'er was brought out of the capital by me, she is too timid to go back with others, I have to send her to her mother."

"Okay, since you have made up your mind, then hurry up and arrange things at home, and then hurry to the capital. The situation is changing so fast that no one knows if this sea will be as easy to walk as it is now in a few days. ”