This is the second time Kwan has disembarked in Shanghai. The last time, I took the "Margaret" and brought a team of 600 people, and when Zuihou got off the ship, he wore a small hat in a green coat and a pair of ink crystal glasses to disguise it.

This time, as a minister and a second-class marquis, he naturally can't be like last time. Not to mention a full set of official clothes, when you get off the boat, you must also walk in the front with your head held high.

The incense case was set up on the wharf, and the officials who came to pick up the boat, headed by Zhao Jingxian, knelt down to ask for St. Ann.

"St. Ann!"

After answering this, Guan Zhuofan put down the shelf of the Qin Cha, said with a smile on his face, and greeted everyone with a fist, from Zhao Jingxian to Bai Qiwen, one by one.

"Sir, please go back to the Ya to rest first," everyone had seen the ceremony, Zhao Jingxian bowed down and said, "The banquet for you in the evening has been prepared." ”

"Excuse me!" Guan Zhuofan waved his hand and replied unusually concisely, "I have to start doing things now." Brother Zhu, you greet the other four, and go back with me. ”

The other four naturally refer to Ding Shijie, Liu Xunjiao, Yang Fang and Libin, plus Zhao Jingxian himself, who are the five people of the so-called "Military and Political Committee".

So a total of six sedan chairs were carried into Qingya Street in the south of the city. Zhang Shun led a group of people to kneel at the door to greet him, kowtowed, and planned to take him into the backyard.

"I have something to do," Guan Zhuofan still waved his hand, "You go and report to your aunt's wife, and say that I am back." ”

The six people sat down in the side hall, Guan Zhuofan looked around, first bowed his hand, and then spoke.

"In the past two months, you have worked hard! The edict has already arrived, and I don't need to say much about it. The brother led the troops to the sea this time. Things in the province of Sioux. I'm sorry for Brother Zhusheng and everyone! ”

Everyone got up and returned the salute, Guan Zhuofan pressed his hands and motioned for him to sit down: "Let's get rid of these red tapes, I'll get down to business." ”

When everyone sits down, let's talk about the first thing.

"Brother Zhu, the post of governor, we will hand it over tomorrow. Mr. Liu. I'm going to trouble you, find a mansion for me in the next few days, no matter where I am, and let my family move in. ”

That is to say, this governor's yamen should be given to Zhao Jingxian.

"Sir, forgive me." Zhao Jingxian and Liu Xunxian shook their heads together.

For Guan Zhuofan, the first thing is, of course, a pretense of posture. And the attitudes of Zhao Jingxian and Liu Xunjiao are also expected. Not too much in courtesy. There must be such a move in order to be justified.

"How?" He asked, surprised.

"Sir, I don't dare to take your seal until the day you leave." Zhao Jingxian said, "Even if I take it, I will just protect the seal for you and wait for you to come back." ”

"Brother Zhu, your two words of acting are just a disguise, and the actual teaching refers to the daytime." Guan Zhuofan said with a smile, "Besides, if the name is not right, it is not good, since there is already an edict, it seems that it is not appropriate for me to stay in the governor's yamen." ”

"This is not the governor's yamen," Liu Xun replied for Zhao Jingxian, "but the Qincha's line!" Sir, we have all discussed, in the future, on the yamen of the feudal division in the west of the city, just hang an extra sign, and there is no need to bother to move around. ”

"This ...... When I'm gone, the line is still here, I don't know if it's suitable or not? ”

"Qin is on a mission, and you can't go to sea!" Liu Xunzhi said categorically, "Naturally, it is placed here, waiting for the marshal to come back and pay the decree." ”

"Oh, oh, I see." Guan Zhuofan nodded, "This is the love of everyone, Zhuo Fan's affection." ”

After this cutscene, I really started to get down to business.

"The long hair in Jiangsu can be regarded as cleared, but in the past few years, the war has been connected, and a lot of vitality has been injured in various places. After the first battle of Shanghai last year, I made a request to Xue Jintang to see if I could ask for a decree and exempt a little money and food for the levy as appropriate, but I was blocked by Xu Changshan, which I really don't know. Guan Zhuofan looked at Zhao Jingxian and said, "Now they are all gone, Brother Zhu, now that you are in charge of Jiangsu, how can this matter matter?" ”

"That's exactly what I mean," Zhao Jingxian saw Guan Zhuofan mention this, and just said what he thought in his heart, "The hardest hit are Changzhou, Zhenjiang and Taicang, Songjiang and Suzhou, which are slightly better." However, the imperial court urges food and salary, and it is often as anxious as a spark, and I am afraid of causing trouble for the marshal, so I don't dare to mention it. ”

"It's a little better, it's only fifty and a hundred steps." Guan Zhuofan shook his head, "Last time, we checked our family background, Jiangsu Province, a province, has 12 million a year's income, and the field endowment and miscellaneous endowment only account for 30%. As long as you don't let the stupid officials below get full, the people can still get a little benefit. ”

"Yes, after a few years of fighting, it is time to rest with the people. What does the marshal mean ......? ”

Because the old and the new are being handed over, Zhao Jingxian should have this question.

"When I'm gone, Brother Zhu will come to the fold, okay?" Guan Zhuofan smiled and said, "In the first year, we will exempt Taichang Town, and in the second year, we will exempt Su Song, which is fair and not too difficult." ”

"Done!" Zhao Jingxian resolutely said, "Even if the court does not allow it, I will definitely fight for it on the basis of reason!" ”

"It's not impromising," Guan Zhuofan said softly, "I've talked about this matter with the King of Yizheng and Lord Bao of the Household Department. ”

Zhao Jingxian understands that he has already paved the way for himself, but he wants to give himself the reputation of loving the people! Excited, he wanted to get up on crutches again, but was stopped by Guan Zhuofan with a smile.

"Brother Zhu, each other is doing things for the country, there is no need to be like this."

"Yes! The kindness of the marshal, Jing Xian's heart has it! ”

*

*

After some deliberation, the matter of exempting from taxation was discussed, and the time was almost evening. However, there are still many things to say, Guan Zhuofan simply left them to eat.

"There's no way, if the matter is not finished, you can't let you go home, let's talk while eating." Guan Zhuofan learned from Liu Changyou's tone and said, "Coarse tea and light rice!" ”

As soon as he heard this, Ding Shijie's eyes lit up first - how could it be coarse tea and light rice?

"Boss, we haven't tasted the dishes in the small kitchen for a long time." He smiled and said, "It's just that I'm going to make trouble for my aunt again." ”

said that it is troublesome, but it is not troublesome, Hu Qingqing in the backyard, I heard that Guan Zhuofan does not eat the "reception banquet", and has already prepared a sumptuous table of banquets in person, and now I listen to Zhang Shun to say that several adults have to eat here, it is nothing more than adding two more dishes, with her skills, plus Wan'er and a mother to help, before half an o'clock, the banquet will be opened.

There are delicacies and wines to accompany each other, and the conversation is even stronger, Guan Zhuofan asked about the things in foreign affairs one by one, and everyone also talked carefully about the part they should take care of.

The machine for minting silver dollars has arrived, and the factory is set up in Gaoqiao according to the original method. The furnace is now being built, and in about a month, it will be ready for casting.

"Su Yang!" Guan Zhuofan said with emotion, "If everything goes well, by the time I come back, it should be everywhere in the market." ”

"Yes, the Cantonese dialect hall is also going well." Libin said, "Zhao Fansi took down the row of houses on Xuegong Street and handed them over to Zeng Jiegang for distribution, and the construction of the newly built houses has also begun. Hua Yufang and Xu Jianyin are very energetic, and foreign teachers have hired five of them, and they are still asking me to help them find them. ”

"What is the situation with the recruitment of students?" Guan Zhuofan is most concerned about this, after all, the difficulties of the Tongwen Museum, he entered Beijing this time, and he has a deep understanding, "Is anyone willing to come to learn?" ”

"That's a lot!" Yang Fang on the side said with a smile, "Even the children of foreigners in the concession have signed up, I really can't think of it anymore." ”

Guan Zhuofan nodded with satisfaction, thinking that Zeng Guofan's original letter to him, the sentence on foreign affairs was really good - "The power is the general administration, and the affairs do not leave the port, and in the port, Shanghai is the most important." Shanghai, a place that has the first atmosphere, if you talk about the openness of ideas, is really much higher than the capital. There is a future in learning foreign affairs, and everyone is naturally willing to enter the museum to practice, and there are not so many scruples.

Thinking of the fact that he gave Zeng Guofan eye medicine to the Queen Mother of the Two Palaces this time, he couldn't help but feel a little ashamed in his heart.

That's also for the sake of the big picture, it has to be so! In his heart, he explained for himself like this.

However, this sense of shame was quickly dispelled by Libin's words.

"Yixuan, those Prussians arrived four days ago."

"Arrived?" Guan Zhuofan put down the wine glass in his hand and asked impatiently, "Where's the thing?" ”

"Naturally, we arrived together," Libin laughed when he looked greedy, "and walked at sea for two months, a total of five men and seven cannons. ”

"Good!" Guan Zhuofan patted his hand on the table gently.

Lao Tzu's artillery school is about to open.

*

(On Monday, ask for a few tickets, xiexie everyone.) ）

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