(There will be a shift at 12 o'clock tonight.) ）

In fact, Wu Chaoyue also underestimated some of his comprador grandfather, Wu Jianzhang and Liu Lichuan's hard work to create the Double Knife Society is currently besieged by all gangs in Shanghai, and it is not bad to lose a lot, but this does not mean that Wu Jianzhang has no power to fight back, at least when Father Yang ran to the county government to make trouble, Wu Jianzhang, who had already returned home in advance, adopted Liu Lichuan's suggestion and decided to let the Shuangdaohui form an alliance with the Tangwan Gang, the largest gang in Qingpu, and bring in the Tangwan Gang, which is the most powerful in Songjiang Mansion. Protect the various economic and trade interests of the old Wu family in Shanghai.

Of course, this is destined to pay a price and give up some of the benefits to the Tangwan Gang, but Wu Jianzhang and Liu Lichuan have no choice, but just when Wu Jianzhang and Liu Lichuan arranged for people to rush to Qingpu to ask Zhou Lichun, the leader of the Tangwan Gang, for help, the old Wu family's eyeliner sent the good news that the foreign priest was making trouble in the county government. Hearing the news, Wu Jianzhang and Liu Lichuan, who didn't know the inside story, were just gloating at first, and they both said: "Okay! The sky has eyes, and it doesn't matter if others make trouble, this foreigner makes trouble, which is enough for him Yuan Zubi to drink a pot. ”

After the schadenfreude was over, Wu Jianzhang couldn't wait to ask what the foreigners were making trouble for, and Wu Fu eyeliner replied: "Back to the master, it seems that it is for the trouble of our Double Knife Society, those foreign priests insisted that the people arrested by Yuan Zubi yesterday were all religious people, and our brothers from the Double Knife Society who were injured and hacked to death were all religious people from the Concession Church, so those two foreigners wanted to seek justice for our people, and forced Yuan Zubi to arrest Xiao Fujian and Yuan Wuba, and let our people go!" ”

"What?" Wu Jianzhang and Liu Lichuan's eyes widened together, and they exclaimed in unison: "Really fake? Are foreigners really making such trouble? ”

"Back to the master, it's true." Wu Fu eyeliner replied truthfully: "Those two foreigners put the paper directly on the ground to show the public, everyone can see it clearly, they are sure that the brothers who will be arrested and killed with two knives are all religious people, forcing Yuan Zubi to give them justice!" When will Yuan Zubi solve the case, when will they stop, otherwise they will stay in front of the county yamen and not leave! ”

Speaking of this, Wu Fu eyeliner hurriedly added, "By the way, master, this matter seems to be related to Young Master Sun, it was Young Master Sun who led the way, it was Young Master Sun's side who accompanied Wu Competition, Wu Competition also moved chairs to foreigners, sent food and water, and helped two foreigners block the county government, the county government is now more lively than the market, and the people who watched the excitement were so blocked that they couldn't even walk the road, but Yuan Zubi, the ****, didn't even dare to catch up." ”

Wu Jianzhang and Liu Lichuan opened their mouths again, and looked at each other in surprise for a long time, Wu Jianzhang finally vaguely guessed the reason, and said in surprise: "Could it be that the little rabbit did this thing?" He asked foreigners to come forward to make trouble and help us solve the trouble? ”

"Does Transcendence have such a big face?" Liu Lichuan said in surprise: "Who is a foreigner, how can he give him such a big face and help us do such a heavy thing?" ”

"Quick! Call the transcendence! Hurry! ”

Wu Jianzhang didn't spend any effort to figure out why his baby grandson had such a big face in front of foreigners, and roared just to let people quickly call his baby grandson for questioning, but it was a pity that Wu Chaoyue was not only not at home, but the people of the Double Knife Society also sent Wu Chaoyue to the dock to find Wang Guochu single-handedly, and as a result, Wu Jianzhang and Liu Lichuan's three souls were scared away together, for fear that Wang Guochu, who had already taken the Hundred Dragons Society and the Double Knife Society to start a war, would take the opportunity to poison Wu Chaoyue. Then Wu Jianzhang did not hesitate any longer, and immediately decided to go to the dock to negotiate with Wang Guochu in person, intending to save his precious grandson no matter how much he paid.

Wu Jianzhang and Liu Lichuan immediately found out that they were worried again, Wu Jianzhang had just climbed into the sedan chair with his hands and feet, and Wu Chaoyue had already returned to the door of Wu's mansion with three American priests talking and laughing. Then Wu Jianzhang didn't care that there were outsiders present, so he immediately pounced on his grandson and checked it, from head to foot, from the outside to the inside, until it was confirmed that his baby grandson didn't even lose a single hair, Wu Jianzhang breathed a sigh of relief, and quickly grabbed his grandson and asked, "What are you doing at the dock to see Wang Guochu?" Do you know who he is? ”

"That's why I went because I knew." Wu Chaoyue said lightly: "Grandpa, don't worry, Wang Guochu's side has already agreed, he will not make any more moves against the Twin Blades Society in the future, our family's Twin Blades Club just cares about beware of the Bird Party and other small gangs, and there is no need to worry about the Hundred Dragons Society, which is the most powerful in Shanghai, and we will continue to fight." ”

Wu Jianzhang and Liu Lichuan's eyes widened again than a copper bell, and when they hurriedly asked for details, Wu Chaoyue carefully explained the whole thing before and after, admitting that the foreigners went to the county government to make trouble because of their own instigation, and said that they went to the prison to visit the members of the Double Knife Society, and also said that they went to the dock to negotiate with Wang Guochu, and as a result, Wu Chaoyue said every word, Wu Jianzhang and Liu Lichuan's eyes widened, and their mouths opened a little wider, and finally when Wu Chaoyue finished everything, Wu Jianzhang and Liu Lichuan's eyes were already twice as big as usual, and their mouths were also dislocated together.

Finally came back to his senses, Wu Jianzhang was so surprised that he grabbed Wu Chaoyue again, and said with a trembling voice: "How did you get help from foreigners?" How much silver do foreigners want? ”

"They don't need money, they're just volunteering to help." Wu Chaoyue shrugged his shoulders, and then added: "It can't be said that it is a voluntary help, if they want to preach freely on the dock, they have to help us." Grandpa, if you don't believe me, you can ask Father Martin now. ”

It is no longer possible to describe Wu Jianzhang's surprise and ecstasy at this moment in words and words, and when he quickly and carefully thanked Father Martin and others in English, Father Martin and others waved their hands and said: "Dear Wu, there is no need to thank you, your grandson has already told us all the things, and it is we who have caused you great trouble, so in order to repay you for your help to us, we will definitely help you to the end, not to rescue your people, and not to force the county order in Shanghai to punish the murderers who obstructed our mission. We will not rest. ”

Hearing this, Wu Jianzhang was even more surprised and couldn't believe that all this was true, and while thanking Father Martin and the others, he patted his forehead and sighed: "The old man is really confused, why didn't the old man think of asking for help from foreigners?" Why didn't the old man think that foreigners were also involved in this matter, and helping us was helping the foreigners themselves? ”

The book explains that this is really not that Wu Jianzhang is old and confused and his brain is insufficient, but that when Wu Jianzhang first came into contact with the Manchu officialdom, he was led into the unreliable backer of the Manchu officialdom and repeatedly warned him not to collude with foreigners and betray the country for glory, and then Wu Jianzhang saw with his own eyes how his backer cleaned up the Manchu officials and businessmen suspected of colluding with foreigners, and he also knew from his backer the degree of hatred and antipathy of the Manchu court towards foreigners, and he was deeply impressed by his preconceived ideas. Therefore, Wu Jianzhang's friendship with Western foreigners is also very shallow, but when he encounters officialdom and power crushing, Wu Jianzhang, who has a huge shadow psychologically, can't think of the idea of pulling foreigners into the water anyway.

Surprise to surprise, and after a little calculation, Wu Jianzhang quickly discovered a loophole in his grandson's plan, and hurriedly asked Wu Chaoyue: "Grandson, is it good that you have the idea of asking foreigners for help, but those who were arrested, as well as those of us who were killed, are not religious people?" If Yuan Zubi finds out this, then aren't we in more trouble? ”

"Grandpa, don't worry, Yuan Zubi can't find out." Wu Chaoyue smiled and said: "When I went to visit Uncle A Yuan's subordinates in the prison, I had already told them how to confess in Cantonese in front of the Shanghai County officials, so that they were sure that they had been baptized and were parishioners of Father Martin's church. ”

"Confession in Cantonese?" Wu Jianzhang continued to be stunned, then stomped his feet violently, and shouted in regret: "The old man is really old and confused, why didn't he think of this, the Cantonese in our hometown is the same as the foreign dialect in Shanghai, and the locals can't understand it at all, even if they are taught how to make false confessions in person, those Shanghainese who watch the cell can't understand it!" ”

"Grandpa, there's one more thing." Wu Chaoyue said casually: "I also found out in the prison that there is a brother of the Double Knife Society who was arrested, who was a pirate defense practitioner in Shanghai last year, you are a soldier and have no right to ask about local government affairs, but you can ask about the regimental training, as long as you go and make up for him immediately, let him continue to stay in the regimental training establishment, and then you can use the reputation of the deserter to participate in this case in a bright and bright way - what should you do after you intervene, you don't need me to teach you?" ”

Wu Jianzhang was even more overjoyed when he heard this, and hurriedly nodded desperately in agreement, remembering the name and establishment of the group training with his heart, Wu Chaoyue was no longer verbose, and immediately invited Father Martin to the living room for tea, leaving Wu Jianzhang and Liu Lichuan in the same place excited and ecstatic, and then Liu Lichuan couldn't help but say: "Uncle Shuang, how did you give birth to this grandson?" How do you seem to be able to eat better than you in front of foreigners? Is there more skill than you in officialdom? ”

"The old man didn't expect this little rabbit cub to be so capable." Brushing his white beard, Wu Jianzhang's old face smiled into a big chrysanthemum, and he sighed again and again: "The ancestor has appeared, the ancestral tomb is smoking, the old man is finally a successor, and the old man will kick his legs one day in the future, and he can rest assured that he will close his eyes." ”

…………

Wu Jianzhang sighed in his own home, but his political opponent Yuan Zupi was in a hurry in the county ya, knowing that the foreigners who were still blocking the county yamen to make trouble were instigated by the old Wu family, but he couldn't think of any way to deal with it, and the only thing he could do was to scold the old Wu family for being despicable and shameless, and betraying the country for glory. And as more and more people watched the excitement outside the county government, Xiao Fujian, the leader of the Bird Party who was forcibly pushed to the forefront, couldn't hold his breath and proposed to Yuan Zubi: "Lord Yuan, I want to arrange a few people to take those two foreign devils away and drive them back to the concession!" ”

"Fuck your shit!" Yuan Zubi was furious when he heard this, "Do you think you caused a small amount of trouble to this official?" Beat foreigners and beat foreigners, do you want the official top belt to land? Foreigners are already difficult, and you still beat him and beat him, don't you give foreigners an excuse to make more trouble? When the time comes, no matter how big the matter is, the old man will not only not be able to keep his official position, but he may not be able to keep his head! ”

"What then?" Xiao Fujian asked: "The foreigner Lai does not leave in front of the county yamen, if this matter is not solved quickly, it will still make a big fuss?" ”

Yuan Zubi kept a straight face and didn't speak, but fortunately, after all, Yuan Zubi was born as a generation of eunuchs, and he was far more proficient in all kinds of ways in the officialdom than Wu Jianzhang, an upstart in the officialdom who was born in the donation class, so after thinking about it for a long time, Yuan Zubi still came up with a way to deal with it, and said: "Do this, first, send someone to the prison to interrogate those people from the Double Knife Society, to see if they are some kind of religious people; Second, immediately find someone who can speak some foreign language, invite the two foreigners in, and ask them how much silver they need to stop. Three, you immediately go and prepare a few substitutes for the old man, if the foreigners still refuse to give up, put them in prison for a few days, and perfunctory the foreigners. ”

Although he was very reluctant to use his subordinates as substitutes for the dead, considering that the threat of foreigners was too great, Xiao Fujian obediently agreed to Yuan Zuyi's request. Yuan Zubi said viciously: "Also, send someone to the official to carefully investigate the evidence that he Wu Ashuang colluded with foreigners to make trouble, and the official can't find the slightest trace if he doesn't believe it!" As long as the evidence is found, the official will immediately give the court a fold and ask the court to take off Wu Ashuang's black gauze hat! ”

Under normal circumstances, Yuan Zubi's coping strategies should not have much of a problem in resolving this turmoil, but unfortunately, Yuan Zubi was soon disappointed, and the person sent to the prison for interrogation soon brought back a confession, saying that the nine arrested members of the Shuangdao Society not only insisted that they were all parishioners, but also took the initiative to explain the name of the priest who gave them baptism and the time of their baptism, saying that Yuan Zubi could go to check casually and find out that the confession was false and willing to confess.

Of course, Yuan Zubi did not have the courage to send someone to the concession to arrest Father Martin for interrogation, and could only hope to buy the foreigners to stop, but Yuan Zubi seriously underestimated the fanaticism of the foreign priests for the missionary cause, and when he handed the silver to the two foreign priests who made trouble, the two foreign priests not only did not accept it, but also immediately yelled, saying that Yuan Zubi was bribing and bribing them, and also insulting them, making Yuan Zubi disgraced and embarrassed.

In the end, there was really no choice, and Yuan Zubi had no choice but to lose his pawn and protect the car - he sent someone to arrest a few substitute ghosts prepared in advance by Xiao Fujian, let them bear all the charges, temporarily give an explanation to the two foreign priests, and promised to enforce the law impartially, so that the two foreign priests were finally sent away. And looking at the backs of the two foreign priests swaggering away, Yuan Zubi finally breathed a sigh of relief, and said with a sneer: "Wu Ashuang, I see what other means you have, this is just a local matter, you can't manage the local civil affairs with a military guard, even if you know that the person I arrested is a ghost for the dead, what can you do to me?" ”

Yuan Zubi, who was good at manipulating power, soon couldn't laugh again, because as soon as the two foreign priests left, Wu Jianzhang's carriage stopped in front of his county yamen, and then Wu Jianzhang's thin and obscene old face was still full of smiles, and he smiled very kindly, handed him an official document, and said: "Yuan Xianzun, I'm really sorry, this official found out that a person named Xie San you arrested on the dock yesterday is still making up Lian Yong in Gaoqiao Town, Shanghai County, and for some reason became a deserter. I don't know why I was arrested by your people. So there is no way, according to the imperial decree, this official must investigate this matter, participate in the interrogation of that Xie San, and also interrogate those of his companions by the way, to see if there are any other deserters. ”

Carefully looking at the official document of the military preparation submitted by Wu Jianzhang in disbelief, Yuan Zubi raised his head in disbelief, looked at Wu Jianzhang and exclaimed in his heart, "This old immortal, when did he become so proficient in officialdom?" Such a shameless excuse for interfering in civil affairs is also thanks to this old thing! ”

Just because he has no power to interfere in local government affairs, Wu Jianzhang doesn't know how much he has suffered in front of Yuan Zubi, and he will finally seize the opportunity to retaliate, Wu Jianzhang of course laughed as much as he was happy, and arched his hand to Yuan Zubi, and said: "Yuan Xianzun, it's so decided, when you open the court to interrogate that Xie San, please be sure to inform the old man, and the old man will definitely come to interrogate with you in person to see what the deserter committed and who he fought with to lead to his arrest." You and I are both officials of the imperial court, and we must find out what happened yesterday, and the truth will be revealed. ”

With an extremely resentful gaze, he reciprocated Wu Jianzhang's kind smile, and after a little calculation, Yuan Zubi gritted his teeth and nodded, and said viciously: "Wu Daotai, don't worry, since this matter has involved group training, then the official will definitely inform you at that time, please interrogate that deserter!" It's just that this case is too complicated, and this official needs time to investigate the ins and outs in detail, and Lord Wu may have to wait a lot of time! ”

"It's okay, what the old man has is patience." Wu Jianzhang, who already knew all of his grandson's plans, sneered and said, "I'm afraid that Yuan Xianzun doesn't have the patience to do so, and you have to hurry up if you can't find out for a few days!" ”