"I didn't expect you to be so smart, but it's a pity that you could read more!" Guo Songtao held Liang's hand, looked at her eyes like a bay of clear water, and couldn't help but sigh. Pen @ fun @ pavilion wWw. ｂｉｑUｇE。 ｉｎｆｏ

Guo Songtao's marriage to the Liang family can be said to be quite accidental.

Guo Songtao's original partner died early, although he had many concubines, but no one was with him. As early as when Guo Songtao regained and got His Majesty's will to leave Hunan, he had asked the Feng family and other concubines, who was willing to accompany him into Beijing, Feng was a rural woman, and had never been out, although he wanted to go out to see it, but because he was small, he was inconvenient to move, and he couldn't stand the fatigue of the carriage and horses, so he refused politely; Another concubine, Qian and Guo Songtao, were having an awkward quarrel, so they naturally didn't want to go out, and the only concubine Zou who had ever gone out and seen the world passed away again, so Guo Songtao had to go to Beijing alone.

During his stay in Beijing, relatives and friends learned about Guo Songtao's family situation, and they were enthusiastic about him, especially after the news that he would be appointed as the second envoy to a foreign country after Hong Jun, some friends who knew about the situation in foreign countries asked him, as an envoy of a country, to the place where the envoys of all countries gathered, people were crowned with a large number of people, Mrs. Miss, luxurious and rich, you are alone, but what should you do? I heard that in the diplomatic field, people have a wife, and you have to be accompanied by a lady, before the banquet, this is the rule and etiquette. Guo Songtao let this question be asked. My friend said again, now is the time when you need to renew the strings, why don't you hurry up and marry a better one? What this good woman in the world has is that as long as you nod your head, these people will do it for him.

Guo Songtao nodded and entrusted the matter to a few friends. A few friends were enthusiastic about inquiring, and soon found a loyal family surnamed Liang in Xicheng, Beijing, Liang is the eldest of the three daughters of the family, and no one in her family has ever been an official (and Sai Jinhua was famous before her debut is completely different), Uncle Liang in addition to driving a boat to make a living, on weekdays ready to sell some sugar gourds or something, sell some briquettes and cabbage in winter and spring, there is no shortage of use, but there is not much money to spare, and the life is dull. But the eldest daughter of the Liang family was born very beautiful, a long braid is the longest of all the girls in Xicheng, how tall her body is, how long the braid is, a pair of big eyes are smart, and the skin is also white and pure, she is ingenious, diligent and meticulous, and the sugar gourd made is sold from Xicheng to Dongcheng, and she actually relies on such a handiman to support half of the family, so there are many people who come to the door to propose, but she has not mentioned her life's major events until she is in her twenties, in this era, she can be said to be an old girl in her twenties. Many people asked her what exactly she was waiting for? She just smiled and didn't answer.

On this day, a friend of Guo Songtao handed a message to the Liang family through an acquaintance of an acquaintance and a friend of a friend, asking if the eldest girl Liang would like to go to a foreign country to see another world. Uncle Liang doesn't expect these things, thinking that the poor family's duty is a little better, and the Liang girl is not used to having such dreams, but when the Liang family inquired, it was to tell a minister that they were going to go abroad to be a messenger, and the three daughters of the Liang family were very happy when they heard it, and the little sister said that the sister was good, and Uncle Liang was stupid, saying that it sounded like a dream. The second sister was down-to-earth, and secretly went to see Guo Songtao with the visitor, and came back to say that although the person seemed to be so much older, he looked very blessed, and he was said to be a very learned person. And she asked to understand that her sister used to be a continuation wife, not a concubine, and a second-grade lady who was not adulterated. It was England that went.

Listening to the second sister, Liang's sister didn't say anything.

Later, under the Zhang Luo of his friend, Guo Songtao married the Liang family and entered the door, worshipping heaven and earth, worshipping the high hall, and worshipping the husband and wife, all of which were the set that the Ming media was marrying, and the family could not put down a few tables of banquets, so they went to the big restaurant and set up more than 20 tables of banquets, half of which were neighbors, and the other half were red, blue and white tops, many of them were inserted with flower feathers, which were not only civil marriages, but also official weddings, and the street where the Liang family was located had never been so lively in this life.

To say that Guo Songtao is very satisfied with this family business, it can be said that he is no longer satisfied. This beauty has a pair of unwrapped feet, she will not twist and pinch when she walks, and she has the beauty of not twisting and pinching, and she can handle it in the face of outsiders. After getting married, Guo Songtao is very fond of Liang, and it can be said that he is afraid that he will fall on the ground like tofu and stick to the ashes, and he is afraid that it will melt like an ice cube when he holds it in his arms. The Liang family is also very considerate to Guo Songtao, knowing the cold and the warm, and Lao Guo can be said to have fallen into the gentle township all of a sudden.

"I see that you have been depressed for the past few days, what is the matter?" Liang has been finding Guo Songtao's expression depressed for the past few days, and at this time, there was no one left and right, so he asked.

It is still difficult for this newly married Mrs. Ru to understand Guo Songtao's many hardships, but she wants to share some sorrows and hardships for Guo Songtao.

Hearing her question, Guo Songtao couldn't help but be moved in his heart and gently held her hand.

Liang is a woman from the bottom working people, married Guo Songtao, taking care of Guo Songtao's life can be said to be meticulous, she is now a little woman, serving Guo Songtao's side, that endless affection, how much can Guo Songtao forget some of the troubles in reality.

"It's not because of Liu Yunsheng." Guo Songtao remembered the twists that Liu Xihong had found for him in the past few days, and couldn't help but sigh.

"I've also realized it in the past few days, Liu Yunsheng is not as good as when Fang left Beijing, I don't know why he is like this?" Liang asked.

"Isn't it because I didn't sponsor him as a deputy envoy?" Guo Songtao sighed, "I don't know who drafted this letter of return to China, and it didn't even specify the deputy envoy, he thought that I knew that I deliberately didn't tell him, and when I added the two together, he hated me." ”

Liang listened to Guo Songtao's words, and remembered that Liu Xihong had come to the door to make a fuss when he was in Beijing, and his brows couldn't help frowning.

After receiving the appointment of the envoy to Britain, Guo Songtao deliberately arranged for the selection of personnel going abroad, and he really wanted to have a few outstanding talents in his team who really understood the situation of foreign countries and understood foreign Chinese. Prime Minister Yamen also considered the same thing, and at first planned to arrange for Xu Chanshen, an alternate Daoist of Zhili, to accompany Guo Songtao abroad as a deputy envoy, but Guo Songtao did not object to it after learning the news, because he had learned from the side that Xu Chanshen was still quite good. Unexpectedly, for several days, Liu Xihong ran around, always fighting for the position of deputy envoy. Originally, Guo Songtao thought that Liu Xihong was cultivated by him, and this time the opportunity to go abroad was rare, and it was not impossible to leave him a position as a counselor. But Liu Xihong wanted to be a deputy envoy. Guo Songtao knew Liu Xihong's talent very well, first, he was afraid of his lack of ability, and second, he was afraid that others would gossip and accuse him of engaging in a "personal kingdom", so he talked to Liu Xihong once and asked him to understand, but Liu Xihong turned his face all of a sudden.

That day, Liu Xihong ran to Guo Songtao's residence, and as soon as he opened his mouth, he asked Guo Songtao, why couldn't he, Liu Xihong, be this deputy envoy? The tone was not at all like that of an old subordinate and an old boss, which surprised Guo Songtao. thought that Liu Xihong had taken the wrong medicine, how did he become so bullying? And whose momentum is it relying on? A few days later, he learned that Liu Xihong was afraid that he would not be able to ask him for this deputy envoy, so he played a trick of secretly crossing Chen Cang and asked Li Hongzao to go. And Li Hongzao just wants to install a confidant-like figure among the people who go abroad, and remotely control Guo Songtao (the last time he arranged Hong Jun to be Lin Yizhe's deputy, it was also for this reason), because in his opinion, once Guo Songtao is released, Guanshan will be blocked, thousands of miles away, and if he loses control, it will cause a big disaster. And it just so happened that Liu Xihong was stubbornly pestering this position, and it was Li Hongzao who secretly fulfilled Liu Xihong by pushing the boat down the river, and he didn't even say hello to Guo Songtao. And at this time, Guo Songtao also realized that Liu Xihong had a lot of ways in Beijing, and the backstage was also very hard.

And after getting the official appointment of the deputy envoy, although Liu Xihong still respects Guo Songtao very much on the surface, as he always walks around the door, he will always show Guo Songtao from time to time that he is working for the military aircraft and the yamen, you Guo Songtao just know, and you can't do anything with me!

Although the two never quarrel in public, do not gossip, or broadcast right and wrong, the main thing is that Guo Songtao starts from the overall situation and asks himself to cultivate himself, so as not to cause greater embarrassment. At that time, Liu Xihong was also interesting, and the two were at peace for a while, and even on the surface, they looked the same as before.

But the matter of the national letter made the contradiction between the two finally public.

After arriving in London, Guo Songtao went to the British Foreign Office to meet with British Foreign Secretary Derby and present his credentials, and only then did he know the specific contents of this credentials.

"The Great Emperor of the Qing Dynasty greets the Great British Monarch and the Great Emperor of the Five Indias, I am born with the Mandate of Heaven, Yin Shao Piji, cherish the memory of friendly neighbors, and be friendly to Yongdun,...... The special envoy sent the minister of the Qincha, the Zuo Shilang of the Ministry of Rites, and the prime minister Guo Songtao, the minister of national affairs, to your country, and to be stationed in your capital, thinking that it was the basis for sincere reconciliation. I know that Guo Songtao is capable and loyal, peaceful and fluent, and is very familiar with handling Chinese and foreign affairs. I hope to sincerely believe that we can always achieve friendship and share peace, and we will be deeply happy and ......"

In the letter of state, he made it clear who Guo Songtao was, what he sent to Britain for, and hoped that China and Britain would reconcile, but he did not mention anything about Liu Xihong, the deputy envoy.

In fact, the person who drafted the credentials cannot be blamed for this, because the drafters and the prime minister's yamen are both familiar with international practices, and there is no deputy envoy at the ministerial level. But in this way, Liu Xihong quit.

Because it is also an international practice, when meeting with foreign heads of state, it is only a matter of the main envoy, and there is no part of the deputy envoy. When Guo Songtao went to the British Foreign Office to submit his credentials, he learned that he was the only one who could meet Queen Victoria, and Liu Xihong did not have to go.

Liu Xihong was very angry after learning the news, he thought that his deputy envoy was actually equal to Guo Songtao, the envoy, in terms of status, and the **** faction left the deputy envoy to have the meaning of mutual containment, which is the practice of the system, "the envoys sent by the national dynasty are all in parallel, so the mutual maintenance system is also", he thinks that Guo Songtao has long known the content of the national letter but does not tell himself, so he wrote angrily in the diary: "Check the national book has not reached Chen Hong, and has heard people in the capital, when the envoy is sent first with the book, and it is irreversible." Liu Xihong thought that this was Guo Songtao's intention to embarrass himself, originally he thought that he could "influence Guo Gong" as a deputy envoy, but now "the foreign envoy is called an assistant, and he is driven by the envoy." Since leaving the capital, the system has been from abroad, and all foreigners' documents are single-titled, and everything is negotiable, and they are just eating and paying salaries", so they were very dissatisfied, and their attitude towards Guo Songtao became bad.

Although Guo Songtao could not be blamed on the matter of the national credentials, Guo Songtao still tried his best to make amends, and after Guo Songtao and the British Foreign Office consulted, the British side agreed that Guo Songtao and Liu Xihong could meet at the same time, but the contradiction between the two was already open.

"Today, I went to visit the leader of the British and Chinese businessmen, Chen, and went with him, but he actually said in front of other people's that their daughter-in-law was 'Da of the West', and as a result, he was humiliated and ridiculed, and he was awkward with me on the way back." Guo Songtao sighed, "If I knew this was the case, it would be better not to ask him to go." He offended others to death, what will he do in the future! ”

Liang listened to Guo Songtao's words, and immediately understood what was going on, she was bent on sharing her worries for Guo Songtao, and after thinking for a while, she asked: "Lord Yunxian (she hasn't mixed up to the point where she can be called Yunxian directly), dare to ask this Chen family, are there children?" ”

Guo Songtao suddenly remembered Xiao Chen Wei, couldn't help but smile, and nodded: "Yes, yes, it's a very attractive male doll." He looked at Liang and didn't understand why she was asking this, "Why did you remember to ask if there were any children in his house?" ”

"If you have children, things are easier." Liang smiled, got up and said, "When I go to make a few rock sugar gourds, I also have a silver collar and a small silver bracelet there, and I will send them over with someone." ”

Guo Songtao suddenly understood Liang's intentions, and his heart was moved.

"When did you prepare these things?" Guo Songtao was moved, but also couldn't help but admire Liang's delicate thoughts.

"I just think that adults are stationed in foreign countries, and they have to socialize, and these small things, although inconspicuous, are still useful." Liang smiled and said, "Although the salary of the adult is high (the Prime Minister's Yamen stipulates that the first-class envoys who go abroad are filled with one or two grades, with a monthly salary of 1,400 taels of silver, and the Liang family can't earn one or two taels of silver a month by selling sugar gourds), but I can't spend it indiscriminately, I am from a small family, and I can't think of any big things, I only think about these small things." ”

"That's helped me a lot." Guo Songtao's heart was warm, holding Liang's hand, reluctant to give up.

Not long after, the carriage of the legation came to the Chen family manor again, and Chen Tingxuan and Sara were very happy to see the gift sent by the minister's wife.

"Wei'er, look! What is it? Chen Tingxuan took a rock sugar gourd and shook it at Xiao Chen Wei with a smile.

As soon as Xiao Chen Wei saw the rock sugar gourd, a pair of bright big eyes immediately released light, he ran over in a hurry, snatched the rock sugar gourd from his grandfather's hand, and then rushed to the table, reached out and grabbed two more rock sugar gourds in the gift box, turned around and ran away with a gust of wind.

Chen Tingxuan knew that Chen Wei was for his two younger sisters, so he couldn't help but smile and nod at Sarah.

Sara looked at the delicate silver collar and a small silver bracelet in the box, and a smile appeared on her lips.

At this time, Guo Songtao's impression on her was one level higher.

"This Mr. Guo is really a kind elder." "He was afraid that we would be angry, so he sent these gifts in the name of his wife." ”

"Yes! Although this gift is not very valuable, the heart has arrived. Chen Tingxuan sighed, reached out and took a big rock sugar gourd, and bit it.

"Delicious, delicious." Chen Tingxuan praised, "This is an authentic Beijing Xicheng rock sugar gourd, this Mrs. Guo is really a good craft." ”

Seeing that her father-in-law was eating a rock sugar gourd, he looked the same as his grandson Xiao Chen Wei, and Sara was secretly amused in her heart.

It was getting late, and although there was a beautiful lady Liang by his side, Guo Songtao still had no intention of sleeping, so he asked Liang to help him spread paper and ink, and began to write a recital.

“…… The strength of Britain began with the national dynasty. At the beginning of the country, the government was also very chaotic, and it was the foundation of the state, so that the long-lasting and prosperous state was in the Baalmen (parliament) parliament had the duty to maintain the state. Shemaial (mayor) has a sense of obedience to the will of the people. The two are maintained by the monarch and the people, and the country has been undefeated for more than 1,000 years. …… The saint is the teacher of all things, and the body of the Western people is used for its own purposes. Although Yao Shun was born today, he must urgently take Taixi's method and push it forward, and he can't delay it for a day. ”

In the diary of that day, Guo Songtao recorded the following words:

“…… Liu Xihong served as an attaché, and the cardinal government appointed him as a deputy envoy. Single-mindedly passing on the discussion of the Beijing Division, with Song Tao as the conceit, conceit can rebuke Yi Di, deep Wen Zhou, and Xiang Qi. It is not only a mere desire to use nothing, but it makes people look up to the sky, vomit blood with anger, lose their ambition, and curb their intelligence and intelligence. ”

At this time, Liu Xihong was not idle, since he returned to the embassy, he locked himself in the study and wrote the folds.

“…… The British Foreign Office also said that it was forbidden to see the king of the country without the name of the minister, and after Guo Songtao negotiated with him, he was able to see the same person, and the list of ministers of various countries was only listed without the name of the minister, and his duties were not known, so I don't know what Guo Songtao's intentions were. …… The country has repeatedly asked for envoys to be stationed in the country, and now it is difficult to understand. The people of the Chinese who did business in London were all from foreign customs, and they were rewarded by that country, and they were no different from those of that country, and the situation was very different from that of those in America and Japan......"

The next day, Liu Xihong got up early, quietly called a cronie, and handed him the manuscript of the telegram he had written all night to the premier's national affairs yamen, and asked him to go to the telegraph office and send out the telegram.

And not long after Liu Xihong's cronies left the telegraph office after completing the formalities, a man who looked like a British gentleman in a suit and hat hurriedly left the telegraph office and called a carriage.

"Go to Rothchild Bank." The gentleman paid the coachman a silver coin and commanded in a low voice.