(PS: Lest friends wait, just remember to get on the ticket tomorrow, and the second one will be delivered.) ）

Now it's time to go back and take a look at the situation on the side of Weng Xincun's father and son and Yuan Zuyi, from a distance, I saw the warships and armed merchant ships of Western countries lined up on the Huangpu River, opened the gun window and launched the artillery, and aimed the muzzle of the black hole at the east gate of Shanghai City. Are they going to attack the city of Shanghai? ”

"Foreigners want to fight Shanghai City?" Weng Xincun and Weng Tonggong both felt a little incredulous, and Weng Tonggong also said angrily: "Why do foreigners want to fight Shanghai City? What is the crime of the soldiers and civilians in Shanghai? Why did they want to fight Shanghai? ”

Still hearing the warning shots from the foreigners' warship, the Weng family's father and son and Yuan Zubi finally understood that the foreigners were really here this time, and then Yuan Zubi rushed to the steps of the lower city with an arrow like a frightened rabbit; Weng Xincun was so frightened that his legs went limp, and he couldn't even stand firmly; Weng Tongyi screamed like a pig, "The foreigners are going to shoot!" Hurry up, hurry up! Close the gates! Go and call someone to defend the city, defend the city! It's going to war! It's going to war! ”

The city gate could not be closed immediately, because the frightened people had quickly crowded the road into the city, and the city gate soldiers had already fled to the city with their heads in their hands, and when a few Goshha helped Weng Xincun to the steps down the city, the city was already in chaos, and the chaotic crowd blocked the escape path of Weng Xincun's father and son, and they couldn't drive away. Weng was helpless as a father and son, so he had to try his back against the city wall, constantly trembling on the steps, and constantly praying in his heart for God's blessing, don't let the foreigner's cannonball hit him.

After waiting for a long time without hearing the sound of gunfire and cannons, the blood color returned to the faces of Weng Xincun and Weng Tongxiao, and then heard that the city gate had been closed, Weng Xincun and Weng Tongrong were shocked for a while, and cautiously returned to the city to check the situation, and also saw with their own eyes the picture of the ancestors and grandsons of the Wu family who had regained their freedom surrounded by a large group of foreigners. Then, Weng Tonggong immediately shouted angrily: "Traitor! Traitors! Wu Jianzhang and Wu Chaoyue are traitors who betray the country and seek glory! They are colluding with foreigners to attack Shanghai City, they are doing Wu Sangui's second! ”

"I can't imagine that Wu Jianzhang's dog thief would dare to do this!" Weng Xincun also gritted his teeth and said, "The old man wants to join him!" Join him! Please send a decree to the emperor and behead him all over the house! Destroy the Nine Clans! ”

At this time, Yuan Zubi, who had previously thrown away Lord Qincha to flee for his life, also cowered and returned to the city wall, and saw that the ancestors and grandsons of the Wu family, their rivals, were surrounded and protected by a large group of foreigners and foreign soldiers, Yuan Zubi's face turned pale again, and he hurriedly said to Weng Xincun: "Lord Qincha, Wu Jianzhang's ancestors and grandsons colluded with foreigners to attack Shanghai, you have to tell the truth to the court, and tell the truth to the court!" ”

First glared at Yuan Zubi fiercely, Weng Xincun asked, "How many defenders are there in Shanghai City?" How many troops can be mobilized in the periphery? When will we be able to rush to Shanghai for reinforcements? ”

"It's ......."

Yuan Zubi, who didn't know anything about military affairs, was dumbfounded, and didn't know how to answer at all, but fortunately, the other people next to him exclaimed that the foreigners had come over and relieved Yuan Zubi of the siege, and also let Weng Xincun's father and son quickly turn their heads to look outside the city, and saw that there were a few foreigners in suits and leather shoes who were walking towards the city gate surrounded by a group of Western soldiers, and the one who walked in front was Wu Chaoyue, who had not yet removed the shackles. I don't understand why Wu Chaoyue, who has been rescued by foreigners, wants to venture close to the city wall.

With the help of Father Martin, Wu Chaoyue, who was in shackles, spent a lot of effort to walk to the side of the heavily silted moat, while other foreigners and Western soldiers were waiting dozens of meters away from the rear. ”

No one in the city said a word, and they all looked at Weng Xincun, who was hiding behind the arrow battlement, Weng Xincun hesitated and refused to speak, while Wu Chaoyue shouted loudly: "Brothers in the city, please go and tell Lord Qincha Weng, just say that I, Wu Chaoyue, on behalf of my grandfather, came to talk to him a few words, and explain clearly the reasons and reasons why the foreigners came to save us!" He is a minister sent by the emperor, who came to arrest me and my grandfather by holy order, and now the foreigners have come to save us, if he doesn't come out to explain to us, and know the reason why the foreigners want to save us, I see how he will explain to the court! How to explain to the present day! ”

Weng Xincun still didn't say anything, his eyes rolled wildly, and he kept thinking in his heart, Wu Chaoyue waited for a long time without seeing any movement at the risk of the defenders in the city shooting and firing arrows, and he was also a little anxious in his heart, so he simply scolded: "Weng Xincun, you are not ashamed of your duty and cowardly old man!" Now the Qing officials in Shanghai City are the largest and the highest grade, the foreigners are coming to the city, and the cannons are aimed at Shanghai City, I take the initiative to tell you why the foreigners are doing this, you don't even dare to stand up and talk to me, you are still an egg court official? Do you think you'll be fine when you hide as a shrunken turtle? In the future, after you return to the capital, the emperor asks you why the foreigner's warship sails into the Huangpu River, I see how you answer?! ”

Considering that Wu Chaoyue's words also made some sense, in order to give an explanation to Xianfeng after returning to Beijing in the future, Weng Xincun still whispered a few words to his son Weng Tonggong and asked him to come forward to negotiate with Wu Chaoyue. Although Weng Tongyi was not happy, he didn't dare to disobey his father's orders, so he could only stand up and say loudly to Wu Chaoyue: "The surname is Wu, you traitor who betrays the country and seeks glory, you are not qualified to talk to my father, what do you have to tell me!" ”

"Weng Tongxiao!" Wu Chaoyue scolded back: "You, a sanctimonious and duplicitous hypocrite, are not qualified to talk to me, tell your father to get out, I only tell him something!" ”

"Despicable villain, my father doesn't see you!" Weng Tongyi said loudly: "If you have something to say, just say it, and let it go if you have a fart, otherwise I will leave too!" ”

Considering that it was the same to take those diplomatic notes to Weng Tongyi, Wu Chaoyue did not insist on seeing Weng Xincun directly, but just said loudly: "Okay, I don't bother to talk nonsense with you hypocrite, you come out of the city, I will hand over to you the concert written by my grandfather to the imperial court, and everything is clearly stated on the concert, and you and your father will understand it when you read it." ”

Weng Tongyun had the courage to go out of the city, and immediately flatly refused: "No! When I was out of the city, what should I do if you dog traitor took the opportunity to rush in with foreigners? ”

"Then you put down a basket with a rope, and I'll put the music in the basket, and you pull it up and look at it!" Wu Chaoyue took the initiative to come up with a good idea for Weng Tongyi.

I think the idea is good, Weng Tonggong asked people to bring a rope and a basket, tied the basket and put it down the city, Wu Chaoyue was overjoyed to see it, and wanted to hurry up to put those diplomatic notes into the basket, but the shackles on the body could not be opened without a key, and the movement was very inconvenient, but fortunately, Father Martin, who supported Wu Chaoyue, was both righteous and courageous, and took the diplomatic note wrapped in cloth for Wu Chaoyue and ventured forward, putting the ministers and consuls of various countries into the basket, Weng Tonggong didn't know what the plan was, and waited for the defenders to drag the basket onto the city wall. He also personally presented the cloth bag to Weng Xincun with both hands.

Then, after looking at the diplomatic notes of various countries written in Chinese and foreign languages at the same time, Weng Xincun and Weng Tongyi's father and son were dumbfounded together, and then Weng Xincun didn't even dare to hide, so he directly poked his head out and asked Wu Chaoyue: "Wu Chaoyue, didn't you say that you handed over the chapter for your grandfather?" How did they send all the letters written by the ministers and consuls of Western countries to our Qing court? ”

"Lord Weng, my grandfather can't write a piece of music while wearing shackles, you have to wait for a day or two for his music, now please do me a favor by the way." Wu Chaoyue replied loudly with a smile: "My grandfather's top belt was taken down by you, and now you are the biggest official in Shanghai City, and you are still the minister of the Imperial Mission, so these diplomatic notes from Western countries, please forward them to the imperial court and long live." ”

"The old man doesn't hand it over!" Weng Xincun was so frightened that he hurriedly held up those notes and shouted: "Take back these notes from foreigners, the old man is investigating the case, not the Minister of Commerce, and these notes are not in the care of the old man!" You take it back, take it back right away! ”

Wu Chaoyue was stupid to take these hot yams back, and while turning around and leaving, he said loudly: "Lord Weng, you don't need to be polite, please work hard, send six hundred li to the capital urgently, hand it over to the court and the emperor, and I will leave first." Oh, and you can rest assured that the foreigners' warships sailed into the Huangpu River only to prepare to protect the safety of the concession, and they will not really hit Shanghai. But if you don't submit these diplomatic notes to the imperial court on behalf of the foreigners, I can't guarantee what these foreigners' warships will do. ”

After that, Wu Chaoyue, who was wearing shackles, ignored Weng Xincun's repeated calls and walked straight away, while the ministers and consuls such as Burbulon and Aliguo, who had already received Wu Chaoyue's guidance, strode forward, either speaking loudly in stiff Chinese, or asking the interpreter to convey it on their behalf, all asking Weng Xincun, the minister of the Imperial Mission, to submit a note to the Manchu court on their behalf, and threatened that if Weng Xincun refused to comply, they would sail the warship to the city of Jiangning and to the mouth of Dagu in Tianjin. Directly ask the Governor of Liangjiang and the Manchu court about Weng Xincun's crime of deliberately withholding the note! ——This point is naturally from Wu Chaoyue's guidance, if you don't put this big black cauldron on the heads of Weng Xincun and Weng Tongxiao, it will be difficult to eliminate the hatred in Wu Chaoyue's heart.

In addition to protesting against the arrest of the Wu family and the demand that the Manchu court admit the innocence of the Wu family is a gross interference in the internal affairs of the Manchu Dynasty, but the demand for the establishment of a smooth and fast diplomatic communication channel with the Manchu court, and the request for negotiations on the establishment of modern factories, missionary work, and the free entry and exit of foreigners in and out of the port city are actually very normal and reasonable demands, as long as they are handled well, not only will they be harmless to the Manchu court. On the contrary, it can also play a role in introducing foreign capital and advanced Western technology, which will far outweigh the benefits to the Manchu court.

The introduction of foreign capital to develop the economy and learn from the advanced technology of the West to develop the productive forces are all known to modern people to be a great thing that cannot be sought, but for the stupid, ignorant and self-contained Manchu court, such a thing is tantamount to deviance and betrayal of the country to seek glory - whoever dares to mention it will have his head on the ground! Therefore, taking the notes from various countries that Wu Chaoyue had forced over, and then hearing the intimidation and coercion of the ministers and consuls of Western countries, Weng Xin, whose hands were trembling, suddenly turned dark in front of him, and he actually fell directly on the city wall.

"Father, father!"

Weng Tongyi hurriedly came to support Weng Xincun, but Weng Xincun pushed his son away, and then said in tears: "It's over!" What should I do now? What should I do now? If the old man really sent these notes from foreigners to the court, the emperor would not be furious, and he would not be able to sprinkle all his anger on the old man's head? ”