Chapter 237: General Ben's Intention!
"One day, I will make you greedy and savage creatures grovel and prostrate at the feet of our British Empire, I swear." Although the fear from his heart made him hang his head, his heart was filled with a sense of humiliation and resentment, a sense of superiority of the people of the British Empire, and he felt that his actions were simply discrediting his country.
As an excellent British diplomat, looking at people's faces and touching people's hearts is Macartney's strength, although he doesn't quite understand how this Qing general who came to greet the envoy group could make the always arrogant Staunton seem so unprepared, but he also knows that now is not the time to think about this, and a sincere smile appeared on his face: "Your Excellency the General, thank you for the reminder, the contemptible will definitely take it to heart." ”
"It would be best if you could think so, Mr. Earl, you may have learned some news about our country from Mr. Staunton, and I believe you also know that we in the East, and you in the West, can almost be said to be two completely different things, please do not look at my country with the worldview of Westerners, I hope my advice will be helpful to you." Liang Pengfei responded politely.
"General Liang, it's a pleasure to meet you, I heard my teacher, that is, Father Li, say that your country has a population of more than hundreds of millions, and I would like to ask you if this is true." At this time, the little European boy who was standing next to the priest just now suddenly spoke, although it was not standard, but Liang Pengfei never thought that this little guy was actually talking to him in Chinese.
"Your Excellency, this little fellow is my son Xiao Si Dangdong, he is full of strong curiosity and curiosity about everything in the Qing Kingdom, in the entire envoy group, except for him and his teacher, the four Chinese priests, no one can know how to use Chinese and Chinese characters, my son only took ten months to learn how to use Chinese to converse, and also learned how to write this ancient script on paper." Si Dangdong proudly reached out and touched the little Si Dangdong's head, and introduced to Liang Pengfei.
"Little Staunton? Hehehe, really, life is really wonderful......" Liang Pengfei looked at this Western little Zhengtai, who was at most eleven or twelve years old, and couldn't see that this little guy would become the culprit who turned China into a semi-colonial country in the future.
Hearing Liang Pengfei's words, not to mention Xiao Si Dangdong, who had just learned Chinese dialogue, even his teacher, the Chinese priest, had a puzzled face, and didn't know what Liang Pengfei meant by this. What is wonderful about seeing a little fart child who knows Chinese?
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Next, when the Chinese priest saw Liang Pengfei's gaze fall on his head, his face couldn't help but change. But fortunately, it seems that Liang Pengfei didn't care that he had cut off his braids and changed to a Western hairstyle, just glanced at him, and his eyes fell on Xiao Si Dangdong's body again.
"China's population exceeded 10,000 decades ago, and now it should be nearly 20,000." Liang Pengfei replied with a benevolent smile to Little Staunton.
Hearing this answer, Macartney couldn't help but gasp and subconsciously drew a cross on his chest. "My God, there are so many, I'm afraid that the whole of Europe combined can't catch up with the population of your empire."
"Of course, our territory is not smaller than your Europe, a civilization system that has been inherited for nearly 5,000 years and has never been broken, it is not surprising that there is such a population and such a large territory." Liang Pengfei smiled, his smile was so hearty, but his eyes rolled reverently.
In the exclamation of these Westerners in front of him, little Staunton said yearningly: "There is such a huge country, I really want to see it." ”
"Your wish will be granted, little Staunton, and I'm glad to meet you, you know? I like smart kids the most. Liang Pengfei stretched out his hand and put it in his arms and touched it, took out a small dagger made of cloisonné craftsmanship, and handed it to the hand of Xiao Si Dangdong, who looked surprised and liked under the jealous and greedy eyes of the people around him.
"I'm sorry, I came in too much of a hurry, I didn't expect to meet such a cute and smart child, if I don't give some gifts, I really can't go, so I give you this little thing, I hope you can like it."
"Thank you very much, General Liang, I like it very much." After receiving it in his hand in disbelief, the childlike little Staunton pulled out the dagger on the spot, and the snowy blade could still make people feel the sharpness of the murder weapon and the chill of the chestnut man in the sun.
"It's so beautiful, it's just a perfect work of art." Although Macartney still had a smile on his face, his eyes were fixed on the cloisonne dagger in the hand of the little Staunton with jealousy.
"If you think it's a work of art, it shows that you have a good heart." Liang Pengfei glanced at Macartney, and his gaze fell back to Xiao Sidangdong, who couldn't put down the handle cloisonné dagger, and smiled meaningfully. "Whether it's a work of art or a murderous weapon depends on the perspective from which the person holding it appreciates or uses it."
Little Staunton squeezed the gift tightly, raised his still innocent eyes, and nodded as if he didn't understand.
Although Liang Pengfei was joking, his eyes also seemed amiable. But I don't know why, Baron Staunton has a chill in his heart, and he always feels that Liang Pengfei's eyes looking at his son are like a fierce beast hidden in the grass, and his greedy and blood-devouring eyes are staring at an unsuspecting prey.
Sdang Dongxuan smiled to himself, is he too nervous, Liang Pengfei has never met his son, although Liang Pengfei is famous in Liangguang, but no matter how it is, it is impossible to have any malice towards his son?
"Okay, gentlemen, the kind words have been finished, I should also explain my intentions, this general is ordered by my acting governor of the Qing Dynasty, Guo Shixun, to come by the way to greet the British mission, and take on the responsibility of escorting you to Macao, and I need to understand what the purpose of your coming to my Qing Dynasty is." Liang Pengfei temporarily put aside Xiao Sidangdong's matter, looked at Macartney who had a thoughtful expression in front of him and said.
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"Well, that doesn't seem appropriate, does it? Your Excellency General, you are only a general, not a foreign secretary, and this does not seem to be what you need to know. Macartney shrugged his shoulders and said to Liang Pengfei with a look of regret.
Although he deliberately maintained respect on his face, as the British Empire is called Zhongtian, the Industrial Revolution is gradually making it the world's first power, and it also gives him the largest merchant fleet in the world and the most formidable naval fleet, if it were not for Macartney's task of peacefully opening the door to this huge imperial market, he would never have explained so patiently and politely to a commander who only has some fleets that are not even comparable to British armed merchant ships.
"Bold, you dare to speak like this to our general soldiers, just a barbarian, my general talks to you like this, he already looks up to you, you dare to refuse so much?!" At this time, a Qing army general standing behind Liang Pengfei came out from behind, with an arrogant and arrogant face.
Although this sentence had been translated by Father Li tactfully enough, the commanding attitude of the Qing army general made several British [***] officials who were standing behind and watching the excitement couldn't help but change their faces, and one or two of them were all angry.
You know, the Royal Navy is as proud as the Army, and in Europe, although they are often jealous of the soldiers of other countries, they will never be taken lightly. However, the demeanor and words of these two Qing army generals were in a condescending tone, which made them feel quite unhappy, and even two officers stood up, as if they wanted to fight back with words.
However, Macartney was just in time to stop the twindling of these excellent and equally proud royal officers. "Who is this General? ……”
"Wu Liang, the guerrilla of the sailor of Humen Town, Guangdong, is my deputy. His words may make you feel uncomfortable, but it is true, if you refuse my request, I, the lieutenant general of the Qing State who was ordered by the two acting governors of Guangdong, have every reason and qualification to keep you out of the sea frontier of the Great Qing State. ”
"Just with your ridiculous warships?" A naval officer couldn't help but stand up, looking at Liang Pengfei defiantly with a contemptuous expression and gaze.
Liang Pengfei didn't speak, but just fell on the face of the naval officer, the pair of dark eyebrows on the handsome eastern face were slightly raised, and the sharp gaze made the naval officer actually have the illusion that a guillotine knife on the guillotine was slashed down at his neck.
"Enough, Rear Admiral Ford, if you still admit that I am the supreme commander of this envoy fleet, please put away your pride as the Royal Navy of the Empire, I don't want the conflict of words to let this mission that the Empire has been preparing for nearly five years go to waste, so that the trade doors of this huge market that the Empire wants to open this huge market will be closed to us because of you. Do you understand? Otherwise, I will simply let you go and explain to Her Majesty in person. When the time comes, the wrath of the Congress and Your Majesty will be borne by you! Macartney stood up and looked at the fleet commander who had sailed this time, his tone more stern than ever. This time, he used French, because he didn't want to reprimand his subordinates for those Qing people to understand.
(To be continued)