Guan Fang is the Great Seal. Since the telegraph office has been sealed, it is obvious that the noble man has come here to investigate and deal with the matter of the telegraph.

Steady, Guan Zhuofan said to himself.

You can't drink the wine. In order not to ruin the good day, he forcibly took his farewell to Wall, and said apologetically, that there was an urgent matter to be done temporarily.

This is also a common thing, so Guan Zhuofan's farewell, although it is a pity for Wall and the full house, did not cause any uneasiness. He got into the sedan chair and went straight to the Zhengyang Inn where the minister of the Qin mission was staying, and found that Goshha, who was accompanied by the Qin mission, had already been on guard around the inn. When he was informed, he had a closed door - Chonghou did not let him in to invite Sheng'an, but sent a message, saying that it was too late to meet, and that Guan Fantai was invited to come to the inn early tomorrow morning to listen to the order.

It doesn't look good! This will have to be discussed overnight. Guan Zhuofan had never experienced such a thing, so he settled down and thought about it, and sent people to invite Yang Fang, Liu Xuan, Libin, Ding Shijie, and Daniel Zhang to Yanli.

"Boss, someone must have smashed a black brick in the back!" Ding Shijie showed an indignant look on his face, "We fought to the death in front, and they fell behind to find fault and get small shoes for you to wear." ”

"Needless to say, this must be the ghost of Xue Futai and Xu Changshan." Liu Xunji pondered and said, "Chongdi Mountain is the rank of squire of the Ministry of War, who manages the trade affairs of the three mouths in Tianjin, and of course he has some understanding of foreign affairs, and the imperial court chose him to investigate, which is also the proper meaning of the question." It's just that Chongdi Mountain was sent such an errand, and at the beginning of getting off the ship, he first sealed the telegraph office, which was unthinkable with such fanfare. This killer stick is not light. It can be seen that the comer is not good. ”

"I'll transfer some troops. Come into the city and heal him. Scared him away. Daniel Zhang said eagerly, "Let's just say that Longhair is coming, I don't believe he won't get out......

"Nonsense!" Guan Zhuofan's face sank, and Daniel Zhang was so frightened that he stopped talking.

Chonghou person, of course Guan Zhuofan knows. What impressed me the most was that he later went to Russia during the Guangxu period and signed a treaty with the Russians privately. promised a lot of benefits, and allowed Russia to occupy Ili forever, but was convicted by the imperial court of "beheading the marquis", and was almost beheaded, which was regarded as a traitor wearing a hat. These are all conclusive in later generations, but I didn't expect that now he is investigating himself.

"The telegram is run by the foreigner's Sihe company," said Libin stubbornly, "and it is not so easy for him to plant it on Xuan Shuai's head." ”

"After all, the telegraph room is in the county office, so it can't be said that Xuan Shuai doesn't know?" Liu Xunjiao shook his head. "I'll have to think of another story."

"I think it's in this matter. Suspicious. Yang Fang, who had not spoken, spoke at this moment.

"Oh? What does Kei Wong mean ......? ”

"Since Chonghou was accompanied by Xue Futai and Xu Changshan, he decided to go to Nantong first and then to Shanghai. Mr. Liu guessed that the two of them started the matter, and I think it was good. Yang Fang talked eloquently, "There are just three suspicious points, which don't make sense." ”

"May I ask Qi Weng, are those three points?"

"Chonghou can serve as the minister of trade and trade of the three mouths, and manage foreign affairs, it can be seen that he must be a person in the line of the king of the government, and he is on the same path as Xuan Shuai, how can he have his own people and rectify his own people? This is one of them. ”

"Hmm...... What is the second one? ”

"Since we want to make a big show and seal the telegraph office, we should use the Qincha Pass to send the personnel of the provincial and county government offices to investigate, and if we are caught off guard, it will not be difficult for the truth to come out. Now it's just a telegraph room, what's the use? It looks vigorous and resolute, and if you think about it carefully, it seems that you are specifically here to tell Xuan Shuai: Be careful, I came to check on your telegram! ”

This sentence seemed to see the sun through the clouds, so that everyone couldn't help but let out an "oh", looked at each other, and slowly bowed their heads.

"The third point is also quite interesting - Xuan Shuai went to the inn to invite Sheng'an, opened the door to summon him, and announced the holy decree, which is the right thing to do, how can there be any 'it is late' as an excuse? It looks like a businesslike and steep cliff, but it is said that it is deliberately left for Xuan Shuai to have one night to make countermeasures, why not? ”

I see! Everyone looked at Yang Fang with admiration, and said that Jiang is really still old and spicy, and this insight in the officialdom alone is unmatched.

"Admire, Qi Weng is really a person who wakes up in his dreams!" Liu Xunji nodded and said, "In this way, what we have to do now is to think of a good explanation for Xuan Shuai." ”

*

*

Early the next morning, led by Xue Huan, the governor of Jiangsu, officials above the fifth grade in Shanghai gathered in the hall of the Zhengyang Inn to greet St. Ann.

The hall has been furnished, and it looks solemn and solemn. The minister of the Imperial Mission and the minister of trade and trade of the three mouths were noble, dressed in second-class clothes, standing at the head of the south, and replied with their backs: "Holy bow! The ceremony was completed. Chonghou immediately held his hands and said, "Everyone, please get up", everyone dared to stand up, stood aside with their hands down, and waited for him to speak.

"In this battle of Shanghai, the officials, troops and local authorities worked together, and it was indeed an unprecedented victory, and the sacred heart was very relieved. However, merit is merit, and the discipline of the imperial court cannot but be maintained, and the defense of China and foreign countries cannot be ignored. Brother came this time to check the matter of foreigners privately setting up telegrams in Shanghai County! After that, he shouted expressionlessly: "Guan Fantai." ”

"Yes."

"I have something to ask you."

"Yes." Guan Zhuofan rushed out from behind Xue Huan, came to Chonghou, pulled up the sleeves of his robe, and knelt down respectfully.

Xue Huan and Xu Changshan, who had been transferred and had not yet moved, saw it, not to mention how happy they were in their hearts - you Guan Zhuofan arrested He Guiqing and Lord He that day, and it was also so unbelievable, how do you know that you yourself have today? On that day, you roared at the military meeting in the county hall to become an official, but do you know that we are going to kill you, and it is just a gesture?

The officials in Shanghai, but everyone's heart sank, and no one dared to speak, and listened to Chonghou's questions with bated breath.

"Guan Zhuofan, I am ordered to ask you: The foreigners set up telegraph lines in Shanghai, one of which is from the county seat to Sijing, which is twenty miles long; The second is from the county seat to Zhoupu, which is 25 miles long. Is there such a thing? ”

"Yes."

"Sihe Foreign Bank, a total of 15 telegraph operators from Hong Kong, stationed in Sijing, Zhoupu and the county seat, is there any such thing?"

"Yes."

"The telegraph office in the county seat is located in your county office, and I sent someone to seal it up yesterday. The facts are there, what else do you have to say? ”

"That's also true, and there's nothing to say."

"Hmph, forgive you for having nothing to say!" Chonghou sneered, "Fengzhi, I have something to ask you: the former British businessman Rey Rodot has submitted several times to the Prime Minister's Affairs Yamen, asking for a telegram but not allowing it. Why are you so bold as to ignore the laws of the imperial court, connive at foreign businessmen, set up telegrams privately, and open up defenses at home and abroad? ”

"Foreign businessmen set up telegraphs without permission, and the subordinate officials were busy with military affairs, so they were indeed guilty of negligence." Guan Zhuofan first admits a mistake - he can't say that he is not wrong at all, otherwise it will become a big mistake of the Queen Mother of the Two Palaces and the Military Aircraft Department?

"Don't you avoid the serious, what is the 'crime of negligence'?" Xue Huan on the side couldn't help it, "Now what I'm asking about is your crime of 'conniving at foreigners', and the telegraph room is set up in the county office, which is called negligence?" ”

Before Guan Zhuofan could speak in a hurry, Chonghou had already sunk his face and said, "Lord Xue, please respect yourself!" ”

"Yes, yes." Xue Huan bowed his body and didn't dare to speak.

"If you go back to the emperor, the Sihe foreign bank is run by the Danes, and the copper wire is set up very quickly, and when the lower officials notice it, it has been laid to Sijing and Zhoupu." Guan Zhuofan said calmly, "As soon as the lower officials found out, they immediately ordered Sihe Foreign Bank to stop work, requisitioned all wires, poles, and transmitters, and took great responsibility to foreign businessmen. The foreign merchant also knew that he was at a loss, and promised to repay all the goods and silver, and did not want to pay a penny of silver to the military grain station and the county treasury, and asked the emperor to know it. ”

In this way, it is equivalent to nearly 30,000 taels of silver served by Sihe Foreign Bank, isn't it very meritorious? Everyone was surprised, and secretly breathed a sigh of relief, only Xue Huan and Xu Changshan, knowing that he was full of nonsense, but they couldn't find anything wrong with him for a while-even if they could find out, they were already bored with Chonghou just now, and they didn't dare to protest again.

"Since it has been requisitioned, it seems that it should be properly put into storage," Chonghou said in a deep groan, "why did you still set up a telegraph room in the county government and then use it?" ”

"If you return to Lord Chong, since the power is mine, the telegraph is indeed a sharp weapon for military use." Guan Zhuofan knew that he had passed a level, and his words became more and more fluent, "His long hair has already suppressed the army, and he always takes keeping Shanghai as the first priority, and he doesn't talk about it." This is what the emperor once instructed. ”

"Your Majesty...... Got that? Chonghou looked stunned.

"In October last year, the edict issued by Xuan Jun before leaving Beijing said, 'Whatever is beneficial to military affairs, the officer is allowed to act cheaply.'" Guan Zhuofan first recited a sentence from the holy decree respectfully, and then continued, "I'm here, I don't know if it's 'acting cheaply'?" ”

The whole class was quiet.

*(To be continued......)