Li Weiguo turned around and saw a third-grade official in his thirties looking at him with a smile.

"Who are you?"

Li Weiguo asked, he was also stunned in his heart, why did he have an extra third-grade official under him, but he didn't recognize it, it was really a joke.

I saw that the man smiled slightly, saluted Li Weiguo, and then said: "Li Hongzao, the political envoy of Xiaguan Jiangnan, arrived a month ago, and at that time the lord was suppressing bandits in Zhejiang, so he never formally met Lord Li. ”

It turned out to be Li Hongzao, a super boss in the late Qing Dynasty with a political ability of 150, Li Weiguo was shocked, and this time he remembered that the imperial court had indeed sent a political envoy to Jiangnan Province, and it was Li Hongzao.

Originally, Li Weiguo also wanted to win over this Li Hongzao, and wanted to take it for his own use, after all, Li Hongzao's political ability is very strong, 25-year-old Zhongjinshi, in modern terms, is a super scholar-style character, he was able to get out of the mud without staining himself in the big dye vat of officialdom corruption in the late Qing Dynasty, and he could also become the leader of the Qing School, which shows his strong ability.

It's just that this Li Hongzao is so smart that he actually penetrated everything and saw through Li Weiguo's strategy at a glance, which made Li Weiguo instantly murderous.

If such a person cannot be used by Li Weiguo, then Li Weiguo will definitely eliminate him, and he will not be merciful.

"It turns out that you are Li Hongzao, it is better to be famous than to meet, and you are really a character, but you say that this official is a good strategy, what do you mean?"

Li Hongzao felt Li Weiguo's murderous aura, but he was not afraid, he just smiled: "Your Excellency is not going to discuss this with your subordinates on such an occasion, right?" ”

Li Weiguo was stunned for a moment, and immediately understood that this Li Hongzao didn't seem to have the intention of debunking, otherwise he would definitely say it in public.

Since Li Hongzao does not expose it, it means that he has other considerations and room for maneuver.

Thinking of this, Li Weiguo suddenly smiled: "Yes." I wonder if Master Li dares to sit in the governor's yamen of this official? ”

Li Hongzao suddenly said very shamefully: "Why don't you dare? Xia Guan is about to go to the governor's yamen to visit Master Li! ”

Li Weiguo then instructed the relevant departments to deal with the scene and the aftermath, and then returned to the Jiangnan Governor's Yamen with Li Hongzao.

The Jiangnan Governor's Yamen was recently set up by Li Weiguo in Shanghai, after all, as the Jiangnan Governor, he must have a Governor's Yamen to support the façade.

At this time, in the county seat of Shanghai, the number of yamen institutions increased a lot, including the Shanghai County Yamen, the Shanghai Customs Road Yamen, the Susong Taidao Yamen, the Songjiang Prefect's Yamen, the Jiangnan Governor's Yamen, the Jiangnan Political Envoy Yamen, and a special Liangjiang Governor's Yamen set up by He Guiqing, a small Shanghai county, suddenly became a huge political center, plus the diplomatic offices of the great powers in China are also in Shanghai. As a result, Shanghai gradually has the foundation of a comprehensive metropolis with politics, economy, military and diplomacy.

The proximity of the Jiangnan Governor's Yamen to Yu Garden was purely due to Li Weiguo's personal "laziness", which made his home and office only one street apart, making it convenient to go back and forth.

In the lobby of the Yamen, Li Weiguo sat in the right seat and accepted Li Hongzao's formal visit.

After the ceremony, Li Weiguo asked, "Master Li can speak now!" ”

Li Hongzao asked knowingly: "I don't know what the lord wants to say?" ”

Ya's garlic!

Li Weiguo sneered and said, "You were on the dock just now, didn't you say that the official had a good plan?" What a good plan. I want to hear what you, a talented man, have to say? ”

Li Hongzao pretended to suddenly realize, and suddenly smiled: "It turned out to be this, since Lord Li wants to know, then the lower official will dare to say it!" ”

Li Weiguo's eyes suddenly turned cold. The soldiers around him have also tightened the handle of the knife, as long as Li Hongzao says something that should not be said, he will be the killer.

Li Hongzao glanced at Li Weiguo, still fearless. said with a smile: "When the lower officials came to Shanghai, they were just in time for the adults to lead the troops to Hengzhou, Zhejiang Province to suppress the bandits. I heard that adults use soldiers like gods, and Meiling wiped out tens of thousands of elites of the Taiping Army in the first battle. Recovering Hengzhou Mansion in one fell swoop, Xia Guan thought that looking at the current unstoppable situation of the rebels, the adults had achieved such a major result with a little trick, which really made Xia Guan admire! ”

Li Weiguo saw that Li Hongzao had not followed up for a long time, so he couldn't help asking, "It's gone?" ”

"It's gone!" Li Hongzao replied.

"That's it?" Li Weiguo asked unwillingly.

"That's it!" Li Hongzao nodded affirmatively.

Li Weiguo couldn't help laughing, and said in his heart that Li Hongzao was afraid of death and didn't dare to say it, so he sank his face again and snorted coldly: "Do you think you don't know if you don't talk about this official?" ”

Li Hongzao asked rhetorically: "Since the adults know, why should they be embarrassed to be dismissed?" ”

Li Weiguo smiled: "This official just wants to hear your opinion?" ”

Li Hongzao had no choice but to say: "Since the adults have to listen, then the lower officials will be bold!" ”

So Li Hongzao said: "In the month that Xiaguan has been in Shanghai, I have seen a lot of things and heard a lot of things! ”

Li Weiguo asked with interest: "Oh, what have you seen and heard?" ”

Li Hongzao replied: "The lower officials have seen that the people under the rule of the lord live and work in peace and contentment, and they are prosperous, which proves that the lord is a capable minister who governs the world. However, Xia Guan also heard that the Shanghai army and the rebels traded arms privately, and even the battle between the two sides was acting. I heard that the imperial court sent an envoy down to investigate the matter, if the lower officials did not guess wrong, this King Sangkun of Doro County did not just come to reward the adult, but secretly investigated the adult. ”

Li Weiguo smiled slightly, raised his hand and said, "Keep talking!" ”

Li Hongzao took a deep breath, although he was a little nervous, but he still continued: "Your Excellency must have gotten the news, so you will strike first, and first raid the rebels in Hengzhou Mansion to let the court know that your lord is not colluding with the rebels. Then the smartest thing for the adults was the assassination of Sang Kun that had just been arranged on the docks. ”

Without waiting for Li Weiguo to speak, Zhang Xiaoliu, who was standing next to him, shouted angrily: "Bold, dare to slander my family!" But anyone with a little brain can see that the adults of my family killed Sang Kun in their own territory and in front of their own eyes, isn't this a self-confession? Even if you want to kill Sang Kun, you will do it before Sang Kun crosses the river, so if it is not under the jurisdiction of my family, the court will not suspect my family. ”

Li Hongzao sneered: "This is the genius of Lord Li! If you are an ordinary person, you will definitely suspect that it was Lord Li who killed people and killed people, but the emperor has always been suspicious, and Lord Li made such a play. On the contrary, it will make the emperor think that someone is secretly and deliberately framing Lord Li. Thinking about the relationship between Lord Li and Prince Gong again, the emperor will believe that Prince Gong's nemesis Su Shun deliberately planted the blame, and the lower officials are right? ”

Zhang Xiaoliu was silent, Li Weiguo suddenly smiled, and asked instead of answering: "Lord Li just said that the emperor sent someone to investigate again, could it be that in addition to Sang Kun, Lord Li, you are also burdened with a heavy responsibility?" ”

Li Hongzao was stunned for a moment, and then laughed and said: "No wonder Lord Li, you can have such proud achievements before you are not the year of the weak crown, I Li Hongzao didn't believe it before, but at this moment." The adult's heart is really powerful, and he can guess another identity of the lower official with just one 'and' word, Li Hongzao is deeply admired! ”

Li Weiguo's face suddenly froze, and he meowed, Xianfeng, you really deserve to be the emperor's material, it turned out that he had long been suspicious, and on the surface, he sent Li Hongzao to serve as the political envoy of Jiangnan in order to collect Jiangnan taxes for the imperial court, but he was also secretly monitoring and investigating.

Careless!

Li Weiguo realized that none of the emperors of the past and present were easy to ascend to the throne. They must all have the ability. But this is not what Li Weiguo is most worried about, just now I thought that setting up a plan to put him to death and kill Sang Kun would be able to resolve Xianfeng's suspicions, and now it seems that this Li Hongzao has already secretly investigated Li Weiguo's secret hookup with the Taiping Army.

Li Hongzao has been in Jiangnan Province for a month, and I am afraid that he has already been sent to the capital in secret. I'm afraid Xianfeng already knows about it.

Thinking of this, Li Weiguo suddenly closed his eyes, waved his hand, and said, "You go!" ”

Li Hongzao was stunned. asked, "Doesn't Lord Li kill the lower officials?" ”

Li Weiguo opened his eyes and said with a wry smile: "What's the use of killing you?" It can't stop this war, but it only suffers the common people. One Taiping Heavenly Kingdom is not enough, now that the official has raised troops again, there will be no more paradise for China, and 20,000 comrades will fall into misery, and the lives will be ruined, all of which are the sins of Li Weiguo. Let's go, the official cherishes your talent and can't bear to kill it, I hope that after you go back, you can benefit the people, even if it is to repay the official's grace of not killing! ”

After listening to Li Weiguo's words, Li Hongzao was immediately moved, his heart was churning, and he couldn't help but say: "I can't imagine that although Lord Li secretly colluded with the rebels, it was to protect the people under his rule from being devastated. The lower official wanted to ask Lord Li a word, if the imperial court made great efforts to quell the rebellion of the Taiping Army, and Zhongxing was hopeful, would the Lord rebel. ”

Li Weiguo said casually: "Naturally not!" ”

Li Hongzao asked again: "If the great powers invade China, will the adults have to secretly cooperate with them and sit back and watch the imperial court being bullied by the great powers!" ”

Li Weiguo suddenly said sharply: "It's impossible!" Those who offend my Chinese will be punished even if they are far away! But with me, Li Weiguo, in one breath, the great powers don't want to bully me China! ”

"Well said! Adults are righteous, Li Hongzao admires! Li Hongzao shouted and applauded Li Weiguo. But soon he fell silent, as if after some struggle, and then said: "It's not a secret, the emperor did assign the lower officials to secretly investigate Lord Li, and the lower officials did collect some evidence unfavorable to the adults, but the lower officials saw that the people under the lordship lived well, and knew that the lord was a good official, so the lower officials did not report the investigation report to the emperor." ”

Suddenly, the peak turned around, the willows were bright, and Li Weiguo's careful liver suddenly fluttered. originally thought that he had to rebel, but Li Hongzao's words showed that he had not handed over the evidence he had to Xianfeng, which means that there was still room for maneuver.

But soon Li Weiguo looked at Li Hongzao in confusion and asked, "Why do you want to tell me this?" You're not afraid that I'm really going to kill you this time! ”

Li Hongzao Kangkang said: "Just now, the lower officials deliberately provoked the adults, knowing that the adults did not want to have a civil war in their hearts and let the people suffer. The adults only need to kill the lower officials, and they can prevent another civil war and save tens of thousands of comrades, and I, Li Hongzao, have no complaints. ”

Li Weiguo was surprised: "I can't imagine that you Li Hongzao is also a person who knows how to sacrifice and understand righteousness, if I kill you, won't I be punished by God!" ”

Li Hongzao said with a smile: "If you don't kill me now, aren't you afraid that I will change my mind when I walk out of this door?" ”

Li Weiguo smiled confidently: "You Li Hongzao's personality is still clear, since you don't say it now, you won't say it in the future!" Besides, the official suddenly figured it out, why did you suddenly say that on the dock just now, in fact, you have been testing the official since the beginning, right? ”

Li Hongzao was stunned for a moment and said with a smile: "It's let the adults see through it!" ”

Li Weiguo suddenly got up, came to Li Hongzao, stared into his eyes, and asked, "I don't know if I, Li Weiguo, can get into your eyes?" ”

Li Hongzao also stared at Li Weiguo's eyes and replied, "If Master Li is telling the truth, he will naturally be able to enter the eyes of the bottom!" ”

Li Weiguo immediately said: "I, Li Weiguo, am a person who works as his name, protects the family and defends the country, trains the new army, builds guns, establishes industry, builds people's livelihood, promotes education, creates science and technology, and makes the country strong, I want to benefit 20,000 comrades, resist foreign humiliation, and revitalize China, Master Li is willing to help me!" ”

Listening to Li Weiguo's bold words, Li Hongzao only felt that the blood all over his body was boiling instantly, he suddenly lifted his official robe, knelt on the ground with both knees, and buckled Li Weiguo to the end.

"Li Hongzao was originally an adult!"

Li Weiguo's heart fluttered, and in this short period of time, it can be described as seven up and eight down, with twists and turns, almost making Li Hongzao have a heart attack.

Seeing that Li Hongzao was willing to defect to him at this moment, Li Weiguo's heart suddenly blossomed, he hurriedly helped Li Hongzao up, and said excitedly: "It is really my Li Weiguo's great luck to have Lord Li's help today!" The people of the world are very lucky! ”

Li Hongzao hurriedly said: "Your Excellency is polite, how can you be a subordinate official, you don't dare to praise Lord Lao so much!" ”

Li Weiguo said happily: "I believe in your ability, and you also have this ability!" ”

Seeing that Li Weiguo believed in himself so much, Li Hongzao's heart was also warm and very grateful.

Subsequently, Li Weiguo invited Li Hongzao to a banquet and called all the core members such as Wu Yong, Chen Jingnan, Fu Xuexian, and Rong Hong to Li Hongzao.

Although Li Hongzao is still very young at the moment, and he doesn't seem to have any political achievements except for learning to be rich and five cars, Li Weiguo is so respected, Wu Yong and others naturally dare not slack off, and they have made friends with Li Hongzao and talked happily with each other.

At the banquet, naturally some staff members asked Li Hongzao why he chose Li Weiguo, and Li Hongzao did not hide it, but told him directly.

It turned out that Li Hongzao's fiancée died in the first Opium War in Guangzhou since he was a child, and Li Hongzao hated foreigners since then, this time he took the initiative to invite Ying to come to Jiangnan to take office, in fact, he heard that Li Weiguo led the army to annihilate the American Asian fleet, for Li Hongzao, who hated foreigners, he was grateful to Li Weiguo for fighting foreigners, and now after a conversation with Li Weiguo, he learned about Li Weiguo's lofty ambitions, and admired him even more, so he decided to join Li Weiguo's group.

Li Weiguo also sighed in his heart, if in more than ten years, when Li Hongzao is in full swing, I am afraid that it is basically impossible for Li Weiguo to recruit Li Hongzao, but fortunately, Li Hongzao has just emerged at this time, so he can be included in Li Weiguo's account.

In any case, Li Weiguo was very happy, he didn't dare to imagine that one day he would be able to make people serve him. (To be continued......)