The cell was not as dirty as imagined, because it was already winter, and it was also very dry, Xu was given special treatment, and there were no other prisoners.

Since He Huyong and Guangzhou General Qingchang came to visit one after another, no one dared to visit the prison.

Through the cell boss, Chen Mu also knew that Du Xingwu and others had been released, but Sun Youlin and Ashiya Haruko were still in prison.

He Huyong did what he said, and Chen Mu felt better.

He is not a person who sits idly by, and he is also thinking about countermeasures these days, but the fact that Lin Sheng did not come in to visit the prison is enough to explain the problem, and this is no longer something that Tan Donghua, the magistrate, can decide.

Rising to this level, ordinary means and methods have been unable to achieve contact, and this time I am afraid that there will be more than one luck.

However, Chen Mu still did not give up, because the brothers were still outside, it was impossible to watch him die, there was no doubt about it.

Although the chances were relatively slim, Chen Mu chose to believe them, and his heart calmed down a lot.

Of course, this is only one of the reasons, or maybe it is because Chen Mu continues to practice Yin and Yang and Xuangong, and he often settles down, and his mood is like water.

It is also strange to say that Chen Mu had not been able to feel the effect of Yin Yang Xuangong earlier, but after taking the Outer Pill and learning to use the internal power to assist his qi, it seemed that some kind of barrier had been broken through in the dark.

Now after he cultivates Xuangong, his whole body is blazing hot, even if it is winter, he does not feel cold in single clothes, and sometimes after practicing late at night, he has to stick to the cold wall to dissipate heat.

He was a little worried about Lu Shengwu, but when he practiced last night, this worry suddenly disappeared inexplicably, which made Chen Mu feel very confused.

He asked himself if he was not a ruthless person, cultivating this kung fu, there were some indescribable connections, maybe Lu Shengwu had gotten better, or Lu Shengwu was dead, and this worry would disappear inexplicably.

Chen Muzi hoped that it was the former, but he couldn't confirm it.

In any case, many things can't be changed, Chen Mu doesn't want to add to his troubles, he eats and drinks well every day, thinks about countermeasures when he has nothing to do, and practices when he is tired, just like cultivating in the mountains, forgetting the flow of the sun and the moon.

After a few days, Chen Mu finally ushered in visitors, but the visitors were somewhat unexpected by Chen Mu.

I haven't seen her for a long time, but Isabella is still plump and beautiful, as noble as a phoenix on a paulownia branch.

Bertrand and the other guards remained outside, and Isabella walked into the cell alone, but when the cell boss was about to open the door, she stopped her, and only had a chair placed outside.

But looking at the dirty chair, she had no desire to sit down.

She stood in the aisle, looked at Chen Mu, and said after a long time, "What are your plans?" ”

Chen Mu smiled bitterly: "What should you do, I am the meat on the chopping board, I am afraid that I will not have to choose how to die......"

"It's not your ......" Isabella shook her head, seeming a little disappointed.

Chen Mu raised his head, walked to the front of the iron fence, looked at Isabella's sapphire eyes, and finally spoke.

"I can't find a reason for you to be here."

"Earlier, you made a deal with me in order to get rid of François's marriage contract, and let me become your subordinate knight, and then the agreement was fought, and it was also a trend of interests, in addition to buying and selling between us, or buying and selling, I don't understand......"

Isabella seemed a little disappointed and a little sad, but it turned to anger in the end.

"Yes, there is only a deal between us, you are just a lowly Qing person, even if you learn more Western culture, you are a lowly yellow person after all, I shouldn't be here today!"

Isabella said this, turning to leave.

Chen Mu was also a little annoyed, and the ghost reached out and grabbed Isabella.

I thought something would happen, but when Chen Mu held her hand and felt the temperature of her soft palm, Chen Mu was not shy, embarrassed, and even his heartbeat did not accelerate.

Isabella did not withdraw her hand, nor did she dodge, but glared at the cell head, who hurried out, not daring to stay in it any longer.

"It's time to let go, right?" Isabella glanced at Chen Mu, but had no intention of leaving.

Although he was a little reluctant, Chen Mu still opened his hand lightly and apologized to Isabella: "I'm sorry ......"

The moment Chen Mu let go of his hand, Isabella's whole body relaxed as if she had escaped from the attack of the bobcat.

She was not a woman who was twisting, but at this time, she unconsciously rubbed her hands, as if she wanted to wipe out Chen Mu's breath.

The two were silent, and after a while, Chen Mu asked, "What does Your Excellency the Consul plan to do with me?" ”

Isabella said a little angrily: "Warships are our lives, whether it is maritime trade or escort, they are inseparable from warships, and even some compatriots want to return to the motherland, or explorers want to come to the Eastern Continent, they need warships." ”

"If you blow up the battleship, it will be equivalent to destroying the placenta on which we live, how do you think we will treat you?"

Chen Mu frowned: "This is my motherland, what you are trampling on is our land, it is you who invaded our homeland, but you are not allowed to fight back?" ”

Isabella was also annoyed: "I'm not here to quarrel, I have a way to save you, if you want to live, do as I say, if you don't want to, just let me not come." ”

Chen Mu was slightly stunned, but quickly came back to his senses and said to Isabella: "Who am I?" What motive did you use to save me? ”

Isabella bit her lower lip, but did not answer the question, but said to Chen Mu.

"Although it was you who blew up our warship, it was your government that ultimately compensated us for our losses, and although the two sides are still negotiating the content of the agreement, the treaty has basically been decided."

This was the first time Chen Mu had heard anything about diplomacy, and he didn't interrupt at the moment, but Isabella continued.

"Your government is already corrupt, even if we don't take advantage, this country won't last long, and countries such as England and the United States have long been eyeing each other, waiting to carve up this big cake......"

"Even if it's rotten, it's your own business, it's not an excuse for your invasion, I don't like to hear this, you just say the point, how can you save me."

Chen Mu's face was not good-looking, so Isabella stopped explaining and said bluntly.

"Quite simply, we will give you a fair and public trial, but your testimony must be cautious."

"If this is a personal act, then you will take all the responsibility, even if you are executed a thousand times and ten thousand times, it will not be enough to compensate for our losses."

"But if you are instructed by the government, then you are just an executor, or even an innocent civilian, I know that there are no human rights in your country, if you are instructed, just follow orders, and take the initiative to confess the facts, you can turn into a tainted witness, and finally you can return your freedom."

Chen Mu finally understood Isabella's intentions!

As long as Chen Mu testified in the court of foreigners, claiming that he was sent by the Qing government, then it was the responsibility of the Qing government to blow up the battleship, and he, Chen Mu, was just a little person with a humble fate and at the mercy of others.

Compared with a behemoth like the Qing government, Chen Mu is too small, so small that no one cares about his life or death.

But the interests involved here are too great, and Chen Mu finally understood why Isabella suddenly mentioned it, and the content of the treaty has basically been decided.

If Chen Mu's guess is correct, the content of the treaty is not decided at all, and it is extremely unfavorable to foreigners!

Only in this way can Isabella's motives be explained.

As long as Chen Mu becomes a tainted witness, they will be able to use Chen Mu as a fulcrum to buckle the basin on the head of the imperial court, and then the imperial court can only suffer this loss, and the compensation in the treaty will be astronomical!

Although Chen Mu doesn't have much of a good impression of the court, he doesn't have a good impression of foreigners, and the two evils are the lesser of the two, how can Chen Mu bite the court back?

Besides, even if personal likes and dislikes are excluded, this is not in line with Chen Mu's personal principles, he is not a person who frames others at will, this is not something that he Chen Mu can do.

Thinking of this, Chen Mu didn't have to listen anymore.

He was very disappointed in his heart, and he made no secret of it.

"Isabella, I thought ...... You're really here to save me, it turns out ...... It turns out that between us, we can only trade, and we can never do without trading......"

Chen Mu sighed lightly, and Isabella's eyes also revealed sadness, but she didn't dwell on the topic, but continued to persuade.

"Chen, this is your only way out, otherwise you will only have to die ......"

Chen Mu looked at Isabella, just smiled miserably and said: "Isabella, we have a saying in China, people are inherently dead, or lighter than a feather, or heavier than Mount Tai, life is very precious, but there are many things, more precious than life......"

Isabella shook her head: "No, life is the most important thing, without life, there is nothing, everyone is afraid of death, it's just that you haven't felt the fear of death yet......"

Chen Mu raised his hand: "Don't say it again, I won't do this thing, you better go." ”

Isabella bit her lower lip and wanted to say something, but Chen Mu had already turned around and turned her back to him, and Isabella could only leave in a huff.

After these foreigners left, Chen Mu said to the cell leader: "Can you go and talk to the general, I want to see him." ”

The cell boss hesitated for a moment, but after a while, he came back and said to Chen Mu with an embarrassed face: "The general doesn't want to see you......"

Chen Mu was also very unwilling in his heart, he did not accept Isabella's proposal, but from Isabella's words, he heard the urgency of foreigners.

Now that their warships are gone, they have lost their greatest reliance, and their confidence is gone, otherwise they would not have let Isabella persuade Chen Mu to use such a trick against the imperial court, just hoping to take advantage of the treaty.

If the attitude of the imperial court is tougher and does not take half a step back in the negotiation of the treaty, the foreigners will never dare, let alone have the ability to exert pressure or retaliate!

Chen Mu thought for a while, and then said to the cell head: "Give me a pen and paper, and take me to hand over a letter to the general, this is always okay, right?" ”

The cell boss didn't think much about it, but he got the pen and paper.

Chen Mu weighed the words and sentences, just like the imperial examination, and wrote a beginning, but there were also some specifications of the eight-strand text.

But after thinking about it, Chen Mu tore it off in the end.

He paused and wrote a sentence on the paper in the vernacular, with only two words: "Straighten out!" ”