(PS: There is another shift in the middle of the night today.) ）

Before the words fell, a gunshot suddenly sounded on the Western warship, although the foreign soldiers on the warship were all shooting at the sky, but just now the unlucky crowd who was still watching the Wu family's ancestors and grandchildren with great interest was immediately in chaos, countless people rushed to flee for their lives, crying and shouting one after another, those Qing army green battalion uncles guarding the prisoner car fled faster than one another, and in a blink of an eye, they escaped cleanly from the side of the prisoner car, and the leader of the team Goshha could not be restrained no matter how much he shouted orders, In the end, Na Goshha couldn't bear such a huge fear, and simply threw away the ancestors of the Wu family and fled to the Shanghai city gate, which was already crowded with people, and only Wu Jianzhang and Wu Chaoyue, who were still locked in the prison car, were left.

Goshha and the Green Battalion soldiers all ran away, but the foreigners appeared, and more than a dozen foreign priests suddenly ran out of a teahouse next to the dock, and quickly ran to the prisoner car of Wu Jianzhang and Wu Chaoyue, and without saying a word, they started to smash the car to save people, and the priests such as Martin and Maddos rushed to say: "Wu, don't be afraid, we are here to save you, are you okay?" Rest assured, our consul mobilized warships into the Huangpu River for the purpose of saving you, and no one dares to arrest you anymore. ”

Hearing this, Wu Jianzhang and Wu Chaoyue's ancestors were so moved that they didn't know what to say, and immediately after, one after another, small boats full of heavily armed European and American soldiers approached the dock, and at the same time, many European-style carriages also appeared on the road leading to the concession, first rushed to round with those European and American soldiers, and then under the leadership of the Frenchman who had a pleasant conversation with Wu Chaoyue, Bulbulon strode to the side of the prisoner cart, and Burbulon shouted in proficient Chinese from a distance: "Two dear Mr. Wu, are you all right?" ”

Wu Jianzhang and Wu Chaoyue hurriedly said that they were fine, and Bourblon rushed forward to help the priests try to open the shackles on the Wu family's ancestors, and said: "We seem to be a step late, but we must blame the defenders of the Wusongkou Fort in your country, whether they did not allow our warships to enter the Huangpu River, or our warships fired a warning shot, and directly told them that they were not allowed to enter the Huangpu River and bombarded Wusongkou, so they obediently gave way." ”

"Mr. Bourblon, did your warship fire at the Wusongkou Battery?" Wu Chaoyue was taken aback.

"Hehe, it's just a few shots on the surface of the river, a little warning." Burbulon smiled and said, "Or Wu, you are right, for the imperial court of your country, only intimidation by force will have an effect. ”

"Mr. Bourblon, I didn't say that!" Wu Chaoyue's soul was scattered, and if this word reached the ears of other people, my Qing version of Wu Sangui would be made up and down this night-even the surname would be the same.

"Hahahaha." Burbulon laughed loudly, patted Wu Chaoyue's shoulder and comforted: "Don't worry, I know you are embarrassed, I won't say this to other Chinese." ”

Wu Chaoyue hurriedly thanked him, but Wu Jianzhang next to him asked confusedly: "Chaoyue, when did you meet Mr. Burbulon?" Do you know who he is, Minister Plenipotentiary of France to our Qing Dynasty! ”

"Minister Plenipotentiary?" Wu Chaoyue was taken aback again, and immediately remembered the chickens and cows that joined forces to attack in the Second Opium War.

"Mr. Wu Jianzhang, how did I get to know your excellent grandson, wait until we get to the concession." Bulblon smiled and said, "The most important thing now is another thing, I need your help. ”

"Please ask Mr. Bourblon to give orders, and the subordinate will do so." Wu Jianzhang didn't say a word, and immediately showed the face of a typical comprador leading the party with a servile face.

"Please send a diplomatic note to your court on my behalf." Bourblon smiled and said: "We express our strongest protest against the arrest of your ancestors and grandchildren by your court on charges of helping our French clergy to proselytize, and ask your court to send an envoy plenipotentiary to negotiate with me on the establishment of factory banks in China, the spread of Catholicism, the free entry and exit of our French merchants in port cities, and the establishment of unimpeded communication channels, and we must also admit the innocence of your grandchildren." Otherwise, all the consequences will be borne by your court, and our government reserves all the right to take corresponding measures in these matters! ”

Speaking of this, Burbulon smiled and said four more words that made Wu Jianzhang and Wu Chaoyue's ancestors tremble, "Including declaring war!" ”

"And our note." Several diplomatic documents were extended in front of Wu Jianzhang at the same time, and the British consul Ali Guo and the American consul Qi Liyun, who were very familiar with Wu Jianzhang, also said in unison: "Wu, we also ask to negotiate with your imperial court on matters such as building factories, preaching, and entering the city, and reserve all the right to take corresponding measures on these issues!" Including a declaration of war! ”

"By the way, you must also admit your innocence!" Ali Guo added: "It is ridiculous that we Westerners should be arrested for helping us Westerners to proselytize and build joint ventures! You are good friends and honest partners of our merchants of the British Empire, and we will not die for you! In our notes, we have expressed our strongest protest to your court against this matter, and have decided to ask your court to reverse this absurd decision, even if force is used! ”

Wu Jianzhang, who couldn't find a chance to speak, had nothing to say, and his thin body trembled a little involuntarily - not because of the deep friendship of foreign friends, but because he was afraid! I also kept moaning in pain, "In order to save me and my grandson, the foreigners threatened to start a war against my Qing Dynasty, and asked me to present a diplomatic note for them." If the emperor knew, the old man and grandson would not necessarily be charged with killing their heads, and they would not be beheaded all over the house? ”

Wu Jianzhang was afraid that the crime of not necessarily killing his head would become a whole house of beheading, but Minister Bourblon and the consuls of the British and American countries could not help but say anything, and they all forced the beautifully framed diplomatic note into Wu Jianzhang's arms, and Wu Jianzhang, who was still wearing shackles on his hands, could not accept it, nor did he accept it, and he was extremely embarrassed.

Fortunately for Wu Jianzhang, he also has a more reliable baby grandson, who understands the thoughts of the comprador grandfather, and does not want to carry this big black pot on his actually very good comprador grandfather, Wu Chaoyue stepped forward after a little calculation, and bowed his hand to the ministers and consuls such as Burbulon and Aliguo and said: "Dear Mr. Burbulon, dear consul and gentleman, thank you very much for helping me and my grandfatherI can only keep it in mind and repay it with practical actions, and my grandfather and I can no longer express our gratitude to you with a few fluttering words, but can only wait for the opportunity to express our gratitude with practical actions in the future. ”

"Wu, you are very frank, I like your frankness." Ali Guo waved his hand very generously and said, "But you don't need to be so polite, we help you and help ourselves in things like building factories, preaching, and going to the city." ”

Wu Chaoyue arched his hand again, and then said: "But Mr. Minister, Mr. Consuls, I still have to ask you to understand my grandfather's distress, your diplomatic note, my grandfather really can't forward it to our court for you. ”

"Why?" Burbulon and Aliguo and the others all asked strangely.

"First, my grandfather's official position is gone." Wu Chaoyue said very frankly: "The minister sent by our emperor Xianfeng, Shangshu Weng, has the power equivalent to the plenipotentiary governor of your Western countries in overseas colonies, and he has removed my grandfather from his official position and taken away all the power of my grandfather, so according to the laws of the Qing court, my grandfather can no longer directly see any Qing officials, let alone have any authority to transmit diplomatic notes for you. ”

"Second, my grandfather must think about my family's safety." Wu Chaoyue said more frankly, and said: "The ignorant and conservative Qing court has a law of barbaric times, that is, if a person commits a crime, if the Qing emperor or the Qing court feels that this person's crime is too great, he will order the person's family to be investigated, regardless of whether the person's family is innocent or not, they must bear the punishment from the Qing court, or confiscate property, or behead and behead, or exile to the frontier to the barbaric Manchu warriors as slaves...... ”

"Oh God! How could China in the nineteenth century still preserve such barbaric laws? Some priests and consuls, represented by Father Martin, who had not been in China for a long time, screamed in amazement, and they could not believe that what Wu Chaoyue said was true, and after the Chinese experts such as Luo Weilin and Maadox proved this barbaric custom for Wu Chaoyue, Father Martin and others couldn't help but draw a cross on their chests, and kept shaking their heads to express their incomprehension.

"Dear Monsieur Bourblon, distinguished consuls, now you understand my grandfather's suffering, right?" Wu Chaoyue said: "Although my grandfather and I have been rescued by you, our family is still in Shanghai, and my father and mother are still in their hometown in Guangdong. The stupid and conservative Qing court thinks that it is an unforgivable crime for me to build a joint venture with you, and that you should be tied to the stake and burned to death for helping you to proselytize and buy land, and now that you have rescued me and my grandfather, and my grandfather has gone to deliver such a diplomatic note on your behalf, then the stupid Qing court, even more angry, will definitely lay the blame on my parents and other family members, and they will die. ”

Wu Chaoyue has said it so clearly, can Burbulon and Ali Guo and others still understand what Wu Chaoyue means? However, after a few words of deliberation in a low voice, Ali Guo said to Wu Chaoyue: "Wu, we understand the plight of you and your grandfather, but if your grandfather does not pass on the diplomatic note for us, then how can the stupid court of your country know that we are asking to negotiate with them, and why we are rescuing you?" ”

"Wu, this problem must be solved." Bourblon also said: "You may not know that the reason why I came to Shanghai is because Xu Guangjin, the even more stupid foreign minister appointed by the stupid Qing court, refused to meet with me, and refused to give any reply to our diplomatic note, I had no choice but to come to Shanghai, find your grandfather, the only Chinese official who can communicate with us Westerners, and ask him to deliver a note to the Governor of Liangjiang in your country on my behalf. ”

"This ......." Wu Chaoyue was also a little embarrassed, but after thinking about it, Wu Chaoyue immediately thought of an ideal candidate, and hurriedly said: "Mr. Bourblon, consuls, if you want to quickly and quickly deliver the diplomatic note to our court, then there is someone who can help you now." ”

"Who?" Burbulon and the others hurriedly asked.

"It's to dismiss my grandfather from his official position." Wu Chaoyue pointed to the east gate of Shanghai in the distance and said: "He is the minister of the Qincha and the secretary of the Ministry of Industry, he has a high position in our imperial court, and he has the right to directly meet the emperor of our country. ”

Wu Jianzhang almost didn't laugh out loud when he heard it, and said in his heart that the old man's precious grandson is really good at tricking people, and if Weng Xincun presents these diplomatic notes to the imperial court, his Ministry of Works' book will basically be suspended. When Burbulon and Aliguo and the others heard this, they were also overjoyed, and they all said, "Okay, let's go to him at once and ask him to deliver the note on our behalf." ”

"Wait." Wu Chaoyue hurriedly stopped and said, "Mr. Burbulon, consul gentlemen, if you go directly to that minister and ask him to deliver a note on your behalf, then with the stupidity and cowardice of our officials in the capital of the Qing Dynasty, we will definitely not even see you." But it doesn't matter, I have a way to make that Weng have to see you even if he doesn't see you, and when the time comes, you just have to shove the note into his hand, and he will have to submit it if he doesn't submit it. ”