He carefully took out a book with yellowed pages from the box, opened it gently, and looked at the familiar lines of English words and hand-drawn drawings, and his eyes couldn't help but be a little moist.

“…… The rapid success of the revolutionary movement in the heavenly kingdom on earth attracted attention from all quarters. I have always had a bad impression of the Qianjun, so I am eager to know something about their opponents. Not only did the Celestial Army declare that it would overthrow the tyrannical alien rule, but it also announced that it would eliminate the cult of idols and establish Christianity in the country. So I resolved to give up my former position in the navy so that I could move more freely and get the opportunity to observe the Celestial Army. ”

"After a long period of observation, I feel that while most people denigrate the revolution, their claims are much less reliable than those of those who are in favor of it. The pro-cadre faction against the Celestial Army includes: all those involved in the illegal opium trade, and all British officials who represent Lord Elgin's policy toward the Cadre; all foreign mercenaries who are greedy for the country's money; All Roman Catholics, especially the Jesuits and French Catholics, all missionaries who cannot monopolize the glory of direct missionary glory and are therefore jealous of Christianity on earth; Finally, all the opium traders, who believed that they could make a fortune in a few years, were philosophers of the 'Even if the flood is terrible after I die', and they cared nothing about the future of the country, nor of the great problems of the Reformation and Christianity, because these glorious reforms were in conflict with their business history. ”

"The friends of the Heavenly Army include: many humble and pious missionaries who rejoice in the indirect spread of Christianity in the Qianguo; Many broad-minded men, who cared far more about the suffering of their people and the happiness of the oppressed peoples than the favorable sums of the Elgin Treaty; all those who oppose the Europeans as mercenaries for the most rotten authoritarian state in Asia; and all the merchants who are not keen on opium smuggling and want to trade fairly. ”

"Then I found that those who mixed their own interests were opposed to the revolution. Those who are in favor of the revolution do not care about their own interests and losses. This is not a psychological phenomenon. It's also easy and simple to explain. The former is self-interested. The latter is fraternal. The former loves money, the latter loves justice, and that's it. ……”

“…… I have been to many places in Asia, but in my life, even with my own people, I have never encountered the cordial hospitality and warm friendship that the Heavenly Army has given me. The impression I had as soon as I saw them was something I will never forget, it was created in a split second and did not require more recognition and understanding. I felt a mysterious sympathy that made me like them. From that day until now, my frequent contacts with them have only strengthened and strengthened my initial perception. Anyone who has seen the Celestial Army with their own eyes agrees that the Celestial Army is clearly superior to the cadre army. Not only were the Celestial Army much more lovely in appearance, but their whole character, both physically and morally, displayed the same striking superiority. ”

"For many years, the whole of Europe considered the Qianguo people to be the most absurd and peculiar people in the world; Their shaved heads, slanted eyes, fancy dresses, and women's disfigured feet have long provided a subject for comic artists; At the same time, the self-reclusion, superstitious belief in ghosts and gods, and arrogance that intoxicated the Qianguo people often aroused the ridicule and contempt of the Europeans. But. In the midst of the Heavenly Army, except for the face. All of them are extinct, and even their countenance seems to have improved; Perhaps this was due to the fact that they were freed from slavery both physically and mentally. The most conspicuous contrast between the Heavenly Army and the Qianguo people who were enslaved by the Qianguo government and the foreigners noticed the most was the complete difference in their appearance and decoration. The Qianguo people have always been regarded as a stupid and badly decorated people; And the shaved hair, which makes the face ugly, cannot but be said to be one of the main reasons for this. The face of any Qianguo person under the enslavement of the Qianguo government shows stupidity, coldness, no expression, no wisdom, only a half-cunning and half-fearful slave attitude, their vitality is restrained, their hope and spirit are suppressed and destroyed. The heavenly army, on the other hand, immediately perceives them as wise, studious, and knowledge-seeking. Indeed, in the light of their different intellectual faculties, there could not be a more significant difference, and it would be unimaginable to say that they were of the same nation. The Celestial Army is intelligent, straightforward, and valiant, and their liberal demeanor is particularly attractive. You can see the servile faces and knees of the Qianguo people who were conquered by the Bohan people; But even in the face of death, the Heavenly Army showed the solemn and unyielding demeanor of a free man. ”

"It is a strange fact that the most handsome men and women of the Qianguo can only be seen in the ranks of the Heavenly Army. This may be partly due to their different clothing and hairstyles, but the main reason is undoubtedly the noble effect of their religion and freedom. Their costumes consisted of wide trousers, mostly sewn on black silk, with a long belt around the waist with a waist knife and pistol, and a short red gown that was waist-length and proportionate to the body. Their hairstyle is their main ornament, they grow their hair uncut, braid, tie it with red silk thread, and coil it around their head like a turban, and the end of the tail is a long tassel, which hangs down from the left shoulder. Their shoes came in a variety of colors, all embroidered with patterns (the boots of the Qianjun were completely different, not only slightly different in style, but also not embroidered). ”

“…… I received the friendliest welcome in Suzhou and met several important leaders of the city. However, there is no trace of the former prosperity of this 'dry country of Paris' today. The Celestial Army occupied it only a few months ago, and the scars of the civil war are everywhere. The officers burned and trampled on the formerly wealthy outskirts of the city, and the Celestial Army, in its usual way of capturing cities, destroyed the public and private buildings of the Bokands, as well as other things that would remind people of the hateful Bokand's rule. However, a new suburb has been established, trade of all kinds is resuming, and all commerce is located outside the city. The destruction in the city was extensive, and countless workers were building beautiful new houses, the most beautiful of which were the houses of important chiefs. It was forbidden to buy and sell in the city, which was a necessary precaution in the Qianguo, otherwise enemies such as disguised merchants would infiltrate in large numbers. The Celestial Army simply followed the same policy as other dynasties did when they opened their kingdoms. The Bokhan people are now taking the same approach. Many people do not know the truth after they visit the city of the Celestial Army. It was reported that the inhabitants were reluctant to return to the city for fear of the new rule. But we should remember the recent American Civil War. When the Northern Army occupied Atlanta. Residents were also forced to leave. It can be seen from this that the measures taken by the Celestial Army to occupy the fortified cities were the same as those of the European and American peoples. Outside the ramparts, a group of soldiers and workers were diligently building the fortifications, and inside the ramparts, other soldiers and workers were expanding the remaining streets into large barracks. ”

"The commander-in-chief of the Suzhou Celestial Army is the loyal king Li Xiucheng, who has been the supreme commander of the entire Celestial Army in recent years. He graciously allowed me to see him, and during my stay in Suzhou, he entertained me to stay in his palace. Although he was recently expelled from Shanghai, hundreds of his men were killed by the British (it should be said that they were murdered. Because they were slaughtered by the British for no reason). ”

"I have long wanted to meet this famous general of the Celestial Army, who was invincible until the British intervened, and now I have got my wish. When I saw King Chung, I was in awe. He clearly had the noble demeanor of a natural leader and showed a dignified manhood. King Chung was in a position of great power, held a high position, and had every reason to regard the English as a mortal enemy, yet he received me with modesty and cordiality. The lowliest petty officials of the Qianguo government treat all foreigners with arrogance (unless they are bound by treaty). And I think that if I contact foreigners, I will devalue myself. On the contrary, the loyal king commanded a crowd of four or five hundred thousand people. The second ruler of the heavenly kingdom on earth (after the Heavenly King) and the head of the entire region (which at that time governed an area more than twice the size of England and had a population of more than 70 million), he rose from his throne, shook my hand with English courtesy, and invited me to sit near him. ”

“…… The extraordinary pleasure I felt during my first few days with the Heavenly Army in Suzhou will always be remembered in my heart. I could not fail to feel the hospitality of those who were zealous converts to Christianity and civilized. But thousands of them were later destroyed, and the country that destroyed them was the one they sought to imitate its religious and civilized systems......"

“…… My conversation with Chung Wang naturally mentions his recent repulsion by the British and French in Shanghai. He seemed to be emotional, and he felt a sense of suffocation about the suicide policies of those with whom he was meant to be friends. He made the following points: Why did the English and the French break the covenant? The British, in particular, still possessed a solemn document of their pledge of strict neutrality. The Celestial Army and the British worship the same God and the same Savior, and have the brotherhood of the same religion, so why should the British help the common enemy, the Bo Demon, the Elephant Worshipper, the Father and the great enemy of the Heavenly Brother Jesus? Under what rights and by what laws did the British occupy the county seat of Shanghai, and prevent him, their friend, from conquering the city; And defend the city for the Bohans, the enemy they are fighting against? ”

"Nor can I forget their all-out, noble, progressive, patriotic plans: to spread the Bible, to sweep away idols, to expel the barbarian Bokands from the country, to establish a complete and unified empire, to become brothers to the Christian nations of the West, to import science and industry into Europe—these will always be their main aspirations and determinations."

"King Chung was so open-minded and generous that though he was shrewd and foresightful, he did not see the real cause of the hostility of the foreigners. It did not occur to him that the purpose of the British war in this war, which was to legalize the opium trade and to obtain other benefits for the British; The use of the death penalty by the Celestial Army to strictly prohibit opium, however beneficial it may be to the people of the Qianguo, and however unquestionable the sacred demands of the humanist cry may be - were not conducive to the benefits of the Treaty of Elgin, the indemnity, and the opium trade, and were therefore not suited to the policy of the British. ”

"But the cordial friendship that I have experienced in the Celestial Army is disinterested, sincere, and unmotivated, although some people think that the Celestial Army's friendly treatment of foreigners is a plan to win the non-interference of the European powers. Everything I saw in the Celestial Army: their religious piety, their patriotic fervor, and their general noble sentiments were deeply engraved in my heart. Before I left Canton, I had warmly admired their aims, and my subsequent dealings with them convinced me that there was no cause in the world more just and sacred than theirs, so I decided to do my best to help them and support them......"

He gently closed the book. Wiping tears from the corners of her eyes.

On the cover of the book. It is a one-line English title: "ShengPingTienKwoh: TheHistoryoftheSheng-PingRevolution." IncludingaNarrativeoftheAuthorsPersonalAdventures, the author's name is written under the title of the book: "F? A? Lindley”。

"Brother, don't worry, I will help you realize your unfulfilled wish...... As long as there is one person left in the Lindley family, this righteous cause will be carried out to the end...... As long as you have it......"

He whispered, setting the book aside. He picked up the contents of the box with great importance.

It was a large, round copper coin the size of a plate.

This big copper coin is cast very exquisitely, its outline is cast with two long dragons, the dragon's head faces a pearl, in the middle is "Shengping Heavenly Kingdom" four regular script characters, the back is two phoenixes in the flowers, the middle of the money text is "Yongbao" two seal characters, his hand slowly stroked the money surface, the light is full of shining golden light.

There seemed to be a slight noise from the roof, and he was startled, and he jerked the big copper coin into his arms. He pulled out a revolver and pointed it at the roof.

He listened intently for a moment. Faintly hearing a few kitten meows, he breathed a sigh of relief, put the gun back in its sheath, and then put the big copper coins and books back into the box.

There was footsteps at the door, and after a while, a samurai under his command hurriedly walked in.

"Mr. Lindley, we've found Professor Donald, but he's already been killed." The samurai spoke to him in fluent English.

"What?" The foreigner named Lindley stood up sharply.

"His body was fished up by fishermen in the river, and his head is gone." The samurai nodded and said.

"Where is his body now?" Lindley asked in a deep voice.

"The body was originally stored in the state capital, but now it has been sent to the British consulate." The samurai replied, "Because the death of a British citizen has aroused the great attention of the British Consulate, the British Consul has visited the governor and governor of Fuzhou City today, and asked them to solve the case as soon as possible, catch the murderer, and give compensation." ”

"It is impossible for the incompetent yamen of Qianguo to catch the murderer!" Lindley sneered and sat down again.

"The death of the professor has made it even harder for us to unravel this mystery." Lindeley's gaze fell on the box on the table again, "It seems that someone didn't want our operation to succeed, so they killed the professor before we arrived......"

"That's how it should be." The samurai said anxiously, "Sir, what should we do?" ”

"I think I already know who killed the professor." Lindely thought for a while, then calmed down, "He must have come to Fuzhou City, we can go to him." ”

"You mean, Li Xiangtian did it?" The samurai seemed to understand, too.

"It should be him, he doesn't want to join us, let alone let us disturb his wife's peaceful life, that's why he did this." Lindley nodded.

"As a powerful subordinate of His Royal Highness King Zhong, it is really unthinkable that he has now fallen to this point!" The samurai sighed.

"Time is a poison that can make people forget a lot of things." "But for me, there are some things that I can't and can't forget, no matter how long it's been. ”

Unbeknownst to Lindeley at this time, there was a person on the eaves who was listening carefully and remembering their conversation word for word.

Fuzhou, the ancestral home of the Lin family.

"Did you hear clearly, Ogawa, what they said was 'Shengping Heavenly Kingdom'?" After listening to the ninja's report, Lin Yiqing couldn't help but raise his eyebrows curiously.

"Yes, although they all speak English, they don't know, I can understand English, they are indeed speaking the Shengping Heavenly Kingdom, and they also mention the treasure left by the Chung King Li Xiucheng." The ninja named Ogawa replied.

"What does that copper coin look like? You draw it for me. Lin Yiqing took the quill pen and paper and said to Xiao Chuan.

Ogawa took the pen and paper and quickly drew - as ninjas, their ability to quickly draw and see things was also specially trained.

After a while, a huge pattern of treasure money appeared on the paper.

"He said this was the key to finding the treasure?" Lin Yiqing asked with some surprise when he saw Xiaochuan finish painting.

"Yes."

"What's the name of the author of that book?"

"I saw that the cover said: 'F? A? Lindley’。 ”

“Lindley…… That's a familiar name...... Lindeley ...... Huh? Lin Yiqing remembered a name, and a flash of lightning flashed in his mind. (To be continued......)

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