After returning to the mansion behind Qichang Foreign Bank to rest for a while, and was about to have lunch, Sun Feng, the magistrate of Shanghai, accompanied Yang Nengge's eldest entourage Ding Gui to arrive.

Although Yang Nengge is pedantic, but it is said that he is still honest and honest as an official, he never thought that he was not strict under his control, the surname Ding is obviously a long follower, and the score is not small, not only does he not have even a trace of respect for Sun Feng, but also when he comes, he knocks on the side and says that his master has several friends, and the day before yesterday he hired three translators who are proficient in foreign languages, counting the family members such as Changsui and Menzi and miscellaneous servants such as sedan chair men and umbrella drivers, there are seventy or eighty people who come to take office together, so many mouths to eat, it is absolutely impossible to have no silver.

The provincial office in the county town was occupied by the chaotic party, and the money in the provincial treasury is now all chaotic party, and you have to take care of so many mouths, thinking about Yang Nengge's doing this platform is quite aggrieved. It stands to reason that the Supervision Office should give some money to help, after all, the previous Jiang Customs Inspectors were all concurrently served by Su Song Taidao.

But Han Xiufeng didn't want to give it, and he didn't want to give a tael of silver, so he said coldly: "Your master has the difficulties of your master, and this official has the same hardships as his own official." ”

"Master Han, you are a tax collector, what difficulties can you have?" Ding Gui asked.

"The Provincial Supervision Office was occupied by the chaotic party, and the silver in the treasury was robbed by the chaotic party, how can I not be the Supervision Bureau, the only difference is that it is not the chaotic party that occupies the Supervision Office now, but the foreigners who are more difficult to deal with."

"The Supervision Office is occupied by foreigners, but are you not taxed now?"

"Brother Ding, do you really not know or falsely, this official is now taxing, but he can't pay customs duties on English and French goods. The tariffs of Citi commercial goods can be paid some, but the taxes that have been collected these days, Lord Xu has ordered the official to hand over to the grain station in the morning, if you don't believe it, you can ask Sun Zhixian, Sun Zhixian can testify. ”

Ding Gui thought to himself that you live in such a big and generous house, and there are so many soldiers outside, so you are embarrassed to say that you have no money, so you can't help but remind: "Master Han, you can act as the supervisor of Jiang Customs because my master did not arrive at that time." Don't forget that the previous superintendents were all concurrently held by Su Songdao! ”

Han Xiufeng stared at him and asked, "Brother Ding, what do you mean by this?" ”

Ding Gui said neither humbly nor arrogantly: "What do I mean by this, Master Han, you understand it in your heart." To put it mildly, since you are an official, you have to abide by the rules of officialdom. ”

"I don't hide it, I understand the rules, but now it's an eventful autumn, everything must be focused on recovering Shanghai and suppressing bandits and quelling chaos! What's more, the tax money of these zakat has been handed over to the grain table, and it is difficult for this official and skillful woman to cook without rice, and she really can't help it! ”

"You're really not going to help?"

"If you don't have any money, how can you help the official?" Han Xiufeng asked rhetorically, and said with a gloomy face: "If your master thinks that I, Han Xiufeng, am incompetent, as an overseer, you can ask Lord Xu to dismiss my official and take me from my position, or you can be impeached!" ”

It is said that the prime minister is a seven-grade official in front of the door, but Sun Feng has never seen such an arrogant Changsui, he just dared to be angry and dare not speak out when he laughed all the way before, seeing Han Xiufeng's righteous words, his heart was happy, and he couldn't help but arch his hand and said: "Brother Ding, Master Han does have Master Han's hardships, and the little tax from these days of samura is really handed over to the grain station." ”

"What about your Shanghai County?" Ding Gui subconsciously turned around and asked.

"Brother Ding, no matter how hard it is for Master Han, he can still collect some taxes from Citi merchants, and I don't want anything in Shanghai County. I'm not afraid of my brother's jokes, I, the main hall in Shanghai, are now living in debt. ”

"Borrowing to get by...... Master Sun, you and I are a three-year-old baby, as far as I know, you have gathered local gentry and businessmen these days and raised a lot of money and food! ”

"I have raised a lot of money and food, but I don't count how to use those silver grains. If you don't believe it, you can go and inquire, although Wu Xu and Master Wu said that they came to Master Han to listen to it, they were actually Master Xu's people. Master Wu is in charge of all the money and food, and I can neither speak nor intervene. Sun Feng peeked at Han Xiufeng, and then forced a smile and said, "Brother Ding, if you go and find Qiao Futai, there should be a way over there in Qiao Futai." ”

The sub-patrol Su Songtai moved to Shanghai before the preparation of the road, which was both a good thing and a bad thing.

The good thing is that he not only served as the superintendent of the Jiangxi Customs, but also turned the wealthy Shanghai County into the "Zhili County" of the Provincial Provincial Bureau, and even served as the Cao Yun envoy who was in charge of the shipping of grain. If the party had not committed the rebellion, Su Song Taidao would be the fattest in Jiangsu; The bad thing is because the power is too big, there are too many things to manage, and over time, the three mansions of Su Song and Tai have become worthy of the name, and they can neither control Suzhou nor Songjiang, and this is the acquiescence of the imperial court.

Because of this, Qiao Songnian, as the prefect of Songjiang, will not interfere in Shanghai's affairs, but although Yang Nengge is Su Songtaidao, he can't control Qiao Songnian.

How could Ding Gui not know that it was useless to go to Qiao Songnian, he weighed it and took out three official documents from his arms, and said quietly: "Master Han, let's talk about the matter of the Mutual Aid Provincial Department later, you better take a look at these three official documents first." ”

"Okay, I'll take a look."

I didn't know if I didn't see it, but I was surprised when I saw it, it turned out to be a handwritten letter written by Yang Nengge to the ministers of England, France and the United States. Quoting scriptures, righteous words, the article is really full of flowers, and the words are outrageously beautiful, if Han Xiufeng had put it aside before, he would have copied a copy and kept it as a post. The condescending tone of the Korean kingdom towards the small country of the projectile that day, and the wording that is like teaching students, really makes people laugh and cry.

Han Xiufeng didn't dare to imagine how the envoys of the Three Kingdoms would feel after translating it into foreign language, and was silent for a while before putting down the letter and saying, "Lord Yang is trying to educate you. ”

"Master Han, what you said is to the point, what foreigners lack most is education."

"Okay, I'll keep these three letters first, and I'll pass them on when I go to the banquet in the evening."

"Master Han, my lord asks you to see it, not just ask you to transfer it on your behalf."

"What else does your lord command?"

Ding Gui scratched his head and said embarrassedly: "Here's the thing, my master hired three translators who are proficient in foreign languages, but they are only proficient in foreign languages and have not read a few sage books. My lord is worried that they will not be able to translate well, and the foreign minister will not understand, so my lord would like to ask you to find a translator who is proficient in foreign languages and has read the books of sages to help each translate, so that foreigners will not be able to understand the majesty of my Qing Dynasty and cannot understand my lord's good intentions. ”

Han Xiufeng was made to cry and laugh, thinking that your master was not only teaching foreigners as grandsons, but also afraid that foreigners would not understand, so he touched his chin and was silent for a long time before he said helplessly: "It is really not easy to find a translator who understands both foreign languages and sages and books, otherwise, I will send someone to ask Wu Jianzhang to see if he can help translate." ”

"No, never!"

"What's wrong?"

"My lord said that you can't find anyone who sells chickens! What kind of person is selling chicken, he doesn't even want his ancestors, he wears a pair of pants with foreigners. If you look for him, he will definitely not translate truthfully, not only will he not, but he will even do tricks! ”

"Then what should I do, I really can't find the person your master is looking for!"

"Master Han, you really can't find it?"

"I can't find it." Han Xiufeng shook his head.

Ding Gui stared at Han Xiufeng for a while, and felt that Han Xiufeng didn't seem to be playing tricks in this matter, so he could only say helplessly: "Before I came, my lord explained, if you really can't find a translator who is both proficient in foreign languages and full of sage books, just give the letter to the foreigners and let them find someone to translate by themselves." ”

……

The surname Ding wants to go to the banquet with him in the evening, but from the words outside the words, it can be heard that he is not so much going to the banquet, but taking risks to find out the details of foreigners, and even makes people feel a tragedy of "the wind is sluggish and the water is cold, and the strong man will never return"!

didn't talk for more than half a sentence, Han Xiufeng was too lazy to waste even a word with him, and asked Xiao Wuzi to accompany him to the restaurant outside to eat first, and then let the big head bring the meal he had prepared early into the study and invite Sun Feng to eat together.

Sun Feng stayed in the concession for a few days, as eye-opening as Han Xiufeng when he first came, holding chopsticks and saying bitterly: "Master Han, Lord Yang is negotiating with foreigners, he is obviously adding to the chaos, because he is afraid that the world will not be chaotic enough!" ”

"What's even more tragic is that people like Lord Yang are not only there, but also popular. We think he is ridiculous and ridiculous, but in the eyes of those clear streams in the court, he is a great loyal minister. ”

"Master Han, he is a loyal minister, so what are we?"

"Traitor."

"Master Han, why did you and I become traitors, this ...... Isn't this black and white reversed, and right and wrong are indistinguishable? ”

Han Xiufeng beckoned him to eat vegetables, and said with a wry smile: "In the eyes of those clear streams, it is either white or black, there is no yellow, red, blue, blue, and purple, and there will be no gray. What's more, you and I are from a donation background, and we are not on the right path, so they are loyal ministers, and we can only be traitors. ”

…………

PS: Draw a chapter of time code, count tomorrow's, and update it first.