After passing the racecourse hall and calling the big head, walk north along the path in the rice field until you reach the Wusong River (Suzhou Creek). Both sides of the Wusong River are full of whitewashed houses and shops, the river is not wide, the river is full of boats, but most of them are fishing boats, like a big town, more lively than the horse racing hall.

Han Xiufeng and the three of them crossed the river from the nearest ferry, and as soon as they landed, they were in the Citi Concession. As far as the eye can see, many houses are being built in many places, and many have already been built, including the Citiman shipyard, and the large row of tall chimneys is said to be the Citiman iron factory.

Xiao Wuzi had come to the Citi Concession with his second son surnamed Lin before, and even went to Qichang Foreign Company, which sells shares of Jishuang, and accompanied Han Xiufeng to the door of the foreign company with ease.

The Citi Concession is far away from the county seat of Shanghai, separated by the French Concession and the British Concession, and the guards are not so strict, and there are not a few foreigners with foreign guns on their backs on the road, but the area of Qichang Foreign Concession is very tightly guarded, and there are seven or eight foreigners patrolling outside.

Han Xiufeng didn't rush in, and motioned for Xiao Wuzi to take the name card to report first, so he waited at the door for about half a stick of incense, and a person wearing a gray Confucian shirt and a silk coat greeted him.

"Master Jiang, Mr. Huang, this is Master Han." Xiao Wuzi introduced with a smile.

The middle-aged man in the silk coat looked up and down at Han Xiufeng, who was smiling and silent, and the big head carrying a flat shoulder, and then looked behind the two of them, confirming that the three uninvited guests had come, and then arched his hand and said: "Jiang Zhisheng has seen Master Han, the outside is not the place to speak, Master Han is inside, please." ”

"Master Han, please." The man in the Confucian shirt bowed down, and then took a half step back and stretched out his arm.

"That's bothering," Han Xiufeng bowed back and followed in with the hem of the green cloth robe.

The hall of Qichang Foreign Bank is not as big as the English Xiangmao Foreign Bank, and the stewards are all foreigners, most of the guys are Chinese, and most of the accents are from Guangdong. Han Xiufeng followed them through the hall and into the backyard, and found that there was also a bungalow behind them, but it looked like a warehouse.

Walking further along the alley between the two large warehouses, a huge garden comes into view, there is a small white western-style building in the garden, and more than a dozen people in civilian clothes stand in front of the entrance hall of the small western-style building and look at their three uninvited guests nervously.

Jiang Zhisheng, a member of the Jiang Customs, suddenly stopped, arched his hand and asked cautiously: "Dare to ask Master Han what business he has to do in Shanghai?" ”

The name card that Xiao Wuzi showed them just now contained an official document stamped with the seal of the deputy envoy of the two Huai Salt Transportation Divisions and a survey of the military department filled in before coming, these documents could not be forged by the party, not to mention that it was not so easy to pretend to be an official of the imperial court. Han Xiufeng realized that the surname Huang was not worried that he was fake, but that he was worried that the Hui Party who had committed the rebellion would be killed here, and couldn't help laughing: "Xiufeng originally came to do the grain, but he never thought that the grain was not done and he encountered the Hui Party rebellion, and he was about to go back to his home, and he received an official letter sent by Lord Futai. ”

"How would Futai know that you were in Shanghai?" The middle-aged Confucian couldn't help but ask.

Han Xiufeng didn't answer his question, but asked with a smile: "Dare to ask Mr. your surname, what are the grades of the official residence, and what is the official residence?" ”

The middle-aged Confucian realized that he was not qualified to ask questions, so he hurriedly bowed down and said: "Master Han, the late birth is exempt from your surname Huang, the name is Yunsheng, the move in the fifteenth year of Daoguang, and now he is Wu Daotai's friend. ”

"It turned out to be Mr. Huang, disrespectful and disrespectful."

"Master Han, although we met for the first time today, your name was already thunderous in your later life."

"Mr. Huang has heard of Xiufeng?"

"The victory of Wanfuqiao is more than 400 long hairs, not only have you heard of it in the later years, but even the late Dong Weng knows about it." Huang Yunsheng has been busy rescuing Wu Jianzhang these days, and he has more or less confidence in his heart about whether Wu Jianzhang can get out of the city alive, so unlike Jiang Zhisheng, who is worried about the party, he is a little afraid of finding the two Huaiyun deputies, after all, his owner is the responsibility of Su Song Taidao and the supervisor of the Jiang Customs to guard the land, and now the county seat of Shanghai is occupied by the party, and his owner not only did not die but also survived, and was known by the court that it was going to be investigated.

The more he thought about it, the more frightened he became, and after thinking about it, he said nervously: "Master Han doesn't know, after Changmao captured Yangzhou, my Dongweng asked for the general soldier of Langshan Town, Bo Chengsheng, and hired nine Citi ships to quell the chaos with the town. ”

Han Xiufeng, the chief soldier of Langshan Town, had heard of it, because the Taizhou battalion and even the former Hai'an Foreign Affairs Office were all under the rule of Langshan Town, and he knew that Bo Chengsheng, the chief soldier of Langshan Town, was a native of Guangdong, and he was originally a deputy general in the Guangdong Yazhou Association, and he was only promoted to the chief soldier of Langshan Town in June last year. I thought that as soon as Bo Chengsheng opened his mouth, he would help raise money to hire foreigners' military ships, and he was really a fellow villager helping his fellow villagers.

Jiang Zhisheng knew that the surname Huang was helping to sell Ji Shuang, and he secretly wanted to sell Ji Shuang and was arrested by the party, even if he could come out alive, he couldn't do it, he didn't want to listen to the nonsense surnamed Huang, and couldn't help asking: "Master Han, how did you know that Xia Guan was here?" ”

"I forgot to introduce that this little brother is not the official's family, but Mr. Wu of 'Rishengchang'. There are friends of 'Rishengchang' to help inquire, and it is not difficult to find a few brothers. ”

"It turned out to be Mr. Wu from Rishengchang, Mr. Wu, do you recognize Wood?"

"Master Yujiang, Wood is all a little uncle."

"I see, I see." Jiang Zhisheng thought about it and asked: "Master Han, the officials don't know about your business trip to Shanghai, how did Lord Futai know, and how did he find you?" ”

If you don't make these things clear, the next thing will not be easy to do, Han Xiufeng said frankly: "Xiufeng and the new Songjiang prefect Qiao Songnian have been friends for many years, and I don't want to alarm you when I come to Shanghai on business, but I can't help but say hello to Qiao Futai." Presumably, you don't know that Jiading has been recovered by Lord Xu and Lord Gilhanga, and the army of quelling the rebellion will be able to rush outside Shanghai in three or five days at most. ”

"Great, Master Han, don't you know, Xiaguan has been worrying these days, and Xiaguan is waiting for you to come!"

"Jiang Customs Deputy Commissioner Ajiga to meet Master Han!"

"Xiaguan Akdan has seen Master Han!"

……

Hearing that the army of the imperial court to quell the rebellion would soon arrive, the Jianghai customs officials who had been hiding here for a few days surrounded them as if they had been beaten with chicken blood, and they rushed to salute a thousand times.

Han Xiufeng couldn't remember their names for a while, so he arched his hands perfunctorily, and then followed everyone into the living room of the small western-style building.

The furniture and furnishings in the hall are all in the style of foreigners, Han Xiufeng sat down on the soft Western chair, took the tea from the maid, looked back at Huang Yunsheng and asked, "Mr. Huang, Lord Wu is trapped in the city, what about Lord Wu's family?" ”

Huang Yunsheng didn't expect Han Xiufeng to ask this, and hurriedly said: "Master Han, Lord Wu's family is all right, all here, all upstairs." ”

"It's okay, it's okay." Han Xiufeng nodded slightly.

Huang Yunsheng was extremely nervous, worried that the two Huaiyun deputies in front of him, who had led a thousand Xiangyong and long-haired real knives and guns, asked Wu Jianzhang's family how they got out of the city, and just as he didn't know how to explain, Han Xiufeng asked lightly: "What did the consul of Citi and the missionary of Citigroup say, can they rescue Master Wu from the Guangdong Guild Hall?" ”

Huang Yunsheng didn't expect Han Xiufeng to even know that Wu Jianzhang was locked up in the Guangdong Guild Hall by the party, so he was so frightened that he knelt down in front of Han Xiufeng, and said with a sad face: "Master Han, my family Dongweng really didn't know that Liu Lichuan, Li Shaoxi and Li Xianyun were colluded with the Heaven and Earth Society, and I really didn't know that they had already rebelled and dared to commit rebellion." ”

The reason why Han Xiufeng promised Master Xu was that Xu Naizhao's official documents had been sent, and it would not be delivered in a few days, even if he didn't want to do it, he couldn't do it; The second is that selling Ji Shuang not only has an unusual relationship with Citi people, and should be able to come out alive, but also selling Ji Shuang while being the fattest official in the Qing Dynasty, and at the same time partnering with Citi people to sell big cigarettes and all kinds of foreign goods, some of which are silver!

And he is not only the highest-ranking imperial court official in Shanghai now, but also the most aware of the situation of selling Ji Shuang and the party, after selling Ji Shuang is rescued by Citi, he will definitely think about how to get rid of the crime, and then he Han Xiufeng's excerpt will be able to decide whether he can get rid of the crime of selling Ji Shuang, in other words, this bamboo bar has to be knocked!

Because of this, Han Xiufeng did not let Huang Yunsheng speak, but said coldly with a cup of tea: "The bandit leaders Li Shaoxi and Li Xianyun were entrusted with the important task by your master to recruit young and strong people to train the village bravery. As a result, they did not help the imperial court recruit young people, but helped the Heaven and Earth Society to recruit young people. This is not a rebellion, it is a rebellion! ”

"Master Han, don't you know ......?"

"This official doesn't know, and this official knows far more than you expected!" Han Xiufeng's face changed, and he continued: "Your master and bandit leader Liu Lichuan are not just fellow villagers, right?" As far as this official knows, Liu Lichuan came to Shanghai more than once to find your master, and your master even helped with a little medical skills, and Liu Lichuan, who was not even counted among the rivers and lakes, had an errand to practice medicine. Mr. Huang, tell me that the bandit leaders who committed the rebellion were either your lord's fellow villagers or the people who were valued by your lord, and even the congregations that caused the rebellion were all villagers trained by your lord. Those chaotic parties are like this, they can't say a word of negligence, even if they say it, no one will believe it! ”

Although Jiang Zhisheng and other tax officials sent by the Ministry of Internal Affairs were nervous, they were not afraid, after all, this had nothing to do with them, and some even secretly gloated.

Huang Yunsheng was shocked into a cold sweat, drooping his head and kneeling and not daring to squeak again.

"If it's just what I just said, after your master comes out, think of a way, Shangfeng may be able to help be accommodating. But now those chaotic parties in the city are planning to let your lord be the official of the 'Ming Kingdom', and when I think of it, it seems that I am the governor of Shanghai. Mr. Huang, don't say you don't know anything about this. ”

Huang Yunsheng was so frightened that his whole body trembled like chaff, he never thought that Han Xiufeng would even know this. Jiang Zhisheng and other tax customs officers also realized the seriousness of the problem, because if the imperial court really investigated it, it was difficult to say whether they would be implicated if they were working under the hands of Ji Shuang.

"Master Han, Xia Guan doesn't know, Xia Guan really doesn't know anything." Jiang Zhisheng hurriedly knelt down and said.

Ajiga also hurriedly knelt down in front of Han Xiufeng, and said with a bitter face: "Master Han, the ancestor of the lower official entered the customs with the great grandfather, the lower official is full of people, and he was born with a blue flag, and the lower official hates those chaotic parties the most, how can the lower official rebel!" ”

"Who says you rebelled, get up, get up and speak." Han Xiufeng put down the teacup and said slowly: "Brother Jiang, you should also get up, the official has already found out that Liu Lichuan and Li Shaoxi have nothing to do with you and others." As tax officials, you have not been responsible for defending the land, and the fall of the county seat of Shanghai and the destruction of the Jiangxi Customs Office have nothing to do with you. ”

"Master Xie Han, Master Xie Han!"

"Master Han, if you hadn't been aware of everything, even if the lower officials jumped into the Huangpu River, they wouldn't have been able to wash it off."

"Okay, okay, a big man, still a dignified court official, what does it look like to cry and cry, and he is not afraid of other people's jokes when it is passed on." Han Xiufeng motioned for them to sit down, and continued: "The Yamen of Jianghai Customs has been destroyed by the rebels, but the customs duties cannot be collected, and the taxes cannot be less. The Governor has ordered the Acting Superintendent of the Jiang Customs, and I would like to ask you to take out the account books, and the Governor will see how much tax is due but confiscated. ”

"Master Han, the life of the lower official was picked back, and he was patronizing and fleeing for his life at that time, and he didn't have time to get the account book......"

"Didn't bring out the account books?"

"I didn't have time." Jiang Zhisheng said with a bitter face.

Han Xiufeng asked, "Then you should always know what taxes are confiscated, right?" ”

"Xia Guan remembered that before the rebellion, there were ten ships of English merchants who had not paid the silk tea tax, which was about 45,000 taels of silver. In the days after the rebellion, a total of 13 foreign ships docked, including six English merchant ships, two French merchant ships, and five Citigroup foreign ships, and the goods carried included tobacco and cloth, and the tax payable was about 80,000 taels of silver. ”

"The county seat of Shanghai is occupied by the chaotic party, but there are no other places, what about other passes?"

"Master Han, there are only six gates left that are being taxed now, and all of them are taxes on domestic goods. But Lord Wu was caught in the hands of the rebel party, and even the official office was destroyed by the rebel party, and the river was not very peaceful, and the rebel party robbed several boats, so all the tax and silver from these zakat at those passes were not transported. ”

"How many?"

"It's not much, and the lower officials estimate that it's only seven or eight thousand taels."

Xu Naizhao's official document made it very clear that the officials and troops who were quelling the chaos were in urgent need of food and salary, and if the food and salary could not be helped, those Qiu Ba would definitely make trouble when they arrived in Shanghai. Han Xiufeng didn't dare to convene the gentry and businessmen to raise food and raise money under the nose of the party, but he couldn't do nothing, after all, there were fellow Sichuan villagers in the upcoming official army, and he muttered: "Brother Jiang, I bother you to send someone to order the assistant committee members and tax ambassadors at each pass to transport the tax and silver over." ”

"Brought here?"

"Well, the army will be able to rush to the outside of Shanghai in three or five days at most, if you don't hurry up and prepare some food, what will thousands of people eat and drink?"

"Hey, I'll do it!"

"Mr. Huang, this official is ordered to take over Jianghaiguan, not to investigate your master. You just said that you have heard of me Han Xiufeng earlier, in fact, I have heard of your lord as early as I am, and I admire your lord very much, after all, it is not easy to negotiate with foreigners, and when your lord is out of danger, the official will think of helping to help you to see if you can help your lord to ask for a dismissal and stay in office, even if you can't ask for it, you have to think of asking for a self-atonement, so that your lord can continue to serve the court. ”

Huang Yunsheng didn't expect Han Xiufeng to lift it high and put it down gently, and suddenly realized that he couldn't say it without a point, and hurriedly said: "Master Xie Han, Master Xie Han!" When my lord comes out, I will not forget your great kindness! ”

"Don't be in a hurry to thank you first, the matter is big, I, Han Xiufeng, are soft-spoken, I can only help around as much as possible, whether it can be done or not depends on the meaning of Shangfeng, and it also depends on the luck of your master."

"Late life knows, late life understands."

…………

PS: I didn't have a good rest last night, and my head hurts a little today, there is only one chapter, but it is a big chapter of more than 4,000 words, please forgive me brothers and sisters.