While watching Su Xiaoyu silently looking at his toes, frowning, tears almost flowed from the corners of his eyes, and at the same time looking at the fat woman's old face with fat powder falling down, he said in his heart, I am a person without a home, but my enemies are on their way to kill me.

Su Xiaoyu persuaded the fat woman to waive the money he owed, and persuaded him to find a place to settle down first, there was always time to meet, before leaving, she quietly stuffed a golden melon seed into his palm, and her soft lips gently swept over his lips, and then she was immediately scolded by the fat woman and returned to her room.

The kiss made him forget for a moment about the downfall, the pain, and the death that was about to come, and he felt once again that he really had a woman, so sweet.

Leaving Su Xiaoyu's side, his health deteriorated extremely quickly, and his anxious emotions tormented him day and night, the wound that had not been healed was festering and pus, and it would be in severe pain when he bent over.

On the day he dropped the saber, the first thing he did was not to buy food and find a doctor, he handed over more than half of the money to the fat woman's hand to see Su Xiaoyu again, his money was not even enough to stay overnight, and when he left in the middle of the night, Su Xiaoyu burst into tears, and he was unwilling to let go of his hand no matter what he said.

He didn't expect that this would be his life, twelve years of holding the knife in his hand was wasted, in exchange for more than ten days of lingering and a woman's heart.

Is a woman's heart worth his twelve years? He didn't know, but he was comforted.

These days, he huddled in the alley like a beggar, looking at the two red lights in the distance, the courtyard was called "Qunfangyi", where he met Su Xiaoyu when the autumn colors were thick, and when winter came, it was already his forbidden place. The girl who solicited guests at the door would not allow a man like him to step in, and he would not dare to be presumptuous in front of people, who knows how many eyes and ears were hidden in this street, and they liked to inquire about the land of fireworks the most. He could only look silently, thinking that there was someone behind the window on the second floor who was worried about him and waiting for his news. Bright eyes, picturesque eyebrows, and a low cough in the middle of the night because of the cold. It was the last remaining warmth in his heart.

His tears welled up silently. He thought that he had grown into a man like iron and would not cry, but he was wrong, twelve years of hard training did not harden his heart.

He groped around his waist, the dirty belt hid the peace charm that Su Xiaoyu had begged for him, and the small bag of brocade stuffed with a golden melon seed. It was Su Xiaoyu quietly stuffed into the palm of his hand. At the most difficult time, he didn't think about spending this golden melon seed, because he felt that this might be the last memory between him and Su Xiaoyu. He was determined to leave the city tonight, and staying any longer would not be beneficial to Su Xiaoyu or himself.

He took a deep breath of the snow wind, wanting to see her again before leaving. He made up a lie that he was going to a far, far away place, and that he would see him again if he had the fate. So he disappeared forever into the snowstorm. Su Xiaoyu won't worry too much.

Every time he dreamed of this, Qi Buchen would wake up in tears.

From that day on. He never saw her again.

And she is also an important reason why he embarked on this path.

"Master Qi, the prince called you, there is something to discuss." Someone whispered at the door.

"Got it, I'll go over here." Qi Buchen agreed and sat up from the bed.

He looked at the clock on the table. Now that the ugly time has passed, under normal circumstances, Prince Jing would not call him at this time, something must have happened.

Qi Buchen got up, quickly put on his clothes, and came to the front hall. Seeing Prince Jing sitting there, he fell into deep thought.

Qi Buchen came to Prince Jing's side and stood aside, not making a sound to disturb Prince Jing's thinking.

After a full quarter of an hour, Prince Jing gradually came back to his senses.

"Here, Lao Qi, sit down." Prince Jing pointed to a chair.

After saluting Prince Jing, Qi Buchen sat down in a chair.

"Old Qi, do you know? Lin Yiqing went to Li Gaoyang's door again to hand over the protégé post, and this time Li Gaoyang accepted. Prince Jing said to Qi Buchen, "Just a few days ago, Li Gaoyang just entered the garden to meet him, and after he came back, he changed his mind, you say, ......."

"Li Gaoyang is by no means willing to accept Lin Yiqing's disciple, he said this, there is only one possibility, and it is the instruction of the Queen Mother." Qi Buchen replied immediately.

"She's really taking great pains for his future!" Prince Jing sneered, "I regret the formation of the Jianrui Camp now." ”

Lin Yiqing is well versed in Western warfare, and has actual combat experience, so it is indeed the most suitable to train the Jianrui battalion." Qi Buchen said, "What the prince is most worried about is that the military power of the Jianrui battalion may fall into the hands of the Queen Mother. If you want to take precautions in advance, that is, as long as Lin Yiqing trains his soldiers and teaches tactics, he can not be given a military talisman and not let him have the right to command the army. ”

"Feiyang Tahui Hall was defeated by Lin Yiqing during the trial, Lin Yiqing is quite good at making friends, I am worried that he will not live in Feiyang Tahui Town at that time, but will be robbed by his prestige. And once Lin Yiqing obeys the orders of the two palaces, the Jianrui camp may become our enemy. Prince Jing said in a deep voice, "When Lin Yiqing was in Satsuma, he was just teaching at the military school at first, but when he arrived at Saigo Takamori's army, not only the recruits of the military school obeyed his orders, but all the brave generals under Saigo Takamori were all looking forward to him. has the experience of the previous car, don't be at that time, the Jianrui Battalion is also average, listen to him from top to bottom, that's the end. ”

"At this time and that time, the big cadres are not as good as the Japanese, and most of the Jianrui battalions are of the Bo ethnic group, and they are not comparable to the civilian children of the Japanese military academy," Qi Buchen said, "If the prince is really worried, it is better to ask more children of the clan to enter the camp, and at the same time control the number of soldiers in the battalion, limited to 500 people, and wait until Lin Yiqing's training is completed, in the name of helping the training of other battalions, transfer the soldiers to other battalions separately, so that they will not stay in one place for a long time." In this way, you can not only get the reality of a strong army, but also get rid of the trouble of elbows and armpits. ”

"It's a good idea, so it's decided." Prince Jing nodded again and again, "We must have a back hand, this Lin Yiqing is a talent, if he is like his brother and we have the same heart, then it will be better." If he doesn't have the same heart with us, then we have to deal with him with our backhand, otherwise there will be endless troubles. ”

"The prince is wise."

After discussing from Prince Jing, the sky was already faint, Qi Buchen looked at the red sun in the distance, and took a deep breath of the morning breeze. clenched his fists.

Whether it is Lin Yiqing or Prince Jing, they are just chess pieces in his hands!

Hurd didn't expect that his wife would be as efficient as the Qianguo Customs under his auspices, he didn't know how she passed the news to Lin Yiqing's two ladies in the palace, after she returned from the summer palace, she began to prepare for the guests, and told Hurd to think about what to talk to Lin Yiqing, as if Lin Yiqing would come to visit soon.

Although Mrs. Hurd said with great certainty. Hurd still couldn't believe it, but what happened next proved Mrs. Hurd's ability to do things - around two o'clock in the afternoon the next day, Lin Yiqing really rushed to Hurd's country house and came to visit him.

Upon learning of Lin Yiqing's visit, Hurd immediately went to the gate with his wife to greet him - although the purpose of letting the other party come to visit him first was achieved, but after all, the other party was a baron, although he had no official position, but his status and identity were there. It cannot be ignored.

Lin Yiqing came in a Western-style four-wheeled carriage, which was very luxurious. Dragged by four white horses, like the carriages of Western aristocracy, his carriage carriage was adorned with a beautiful silver family crest with a pattern of a giant eagle flying with wings spread and waves, and the eyes of the giant eagle were inlaid with rubies, indicating the identity and wealth of the owner.

Lin Yiqing got out of the carriage. When he saw the Hurd couple greeting him, he immediately stepped forward to greet Hurd with a Western-style handshake.

Hurd looked at the Qianguo man in front of him, he was tall and handsome, although he had entered middle age. But his face looked incredibly young, his hair was black and shiny, and his eyes under a pair of sword eyebrows were as bright as morning stars, but his gaze was very deep.

To Mrs. Hurd's surprise, the woman who accompanied Lin Yiqing was not one of his two ladies in the summer palace, but a strange young Qianguo woman. She has a pretty face and a slender figure, but there is a heroic spirit between her eyebrows, and her steps are firm and steady like a man, which is impressive at first sight.

Lin Yiqing seemed to see Mrs. Hurd's doubts, and introduced her female companion to Hurd and his wife with a smile, "This is the new lord of Zhu Xueyan who has just been crowned by His Majesty the Emperor of our country, the royal family of the former dynasty, my fiancée, according to the customs of our country, a man can marry multiple wives, today is the day she was enthroned, she came to Beijing for the first time, I want to see more of the scenery of Beijing, I heard that the place where Sir Hurd's home is located is very beautiful, so I took the liberty to bring her here." ”

Hearing that the woman in front of her was a county lord, Mrs. Hurd was very happy, and stepped forward to salute Zhu Xueyan according to Western etiquette, and greeted her in English.

Zhu Xueyan could not understand Mrs. Hurd's English, Mrs. Hurd saw the look of doubt in her eyes, understood, and immediately changed to a dry Chinese to greet her.

Mrs. Hurd noticed that Zhu Xueyan's eyes were a little red, as if she had just cried, and she couldn't help but feel very strange.

"Dear county lord, what's wrong with you? What is it that makes you so sad? Mrs. Hurd led everyone into the manor and asked Zhu Xueyan curiously.

When Zhu Xueyan heard Mrs. Hurd's question, her heart was sour again, and her tears almost fell again.

"Oh, that's right, madam, her dearest grandfather passed away not long ago, and she was ordered by the merciful Empress Dowager of our country to escort her grandfather's coffin to Beijing for burial. Lin Yiqing explained for Zhu Xueyan.

Speaking of Xu Rui's death, Lin Yiqing couldn't help but sigh.

This time, if it weren't for Xu Rui's guidance and catching the knife, he would not have been able to pass the imperial examination so easily and smoothly.

And when the old man died, he was not by his side, nor was he able to see him for the last time.

"Your grandfather must be a respectable elder to be so respected by Her Majesty the Queen Mother." Mrs. Hurd shook Zhu Xueyan's hand, "I understand your grief for the loss of a loved one, if there is anything I can do to alleviate your grief, I will be very happy, I hope you are not polite." ”

"Thank you, ma'am." Zhu Xueyan gave Mrs. Hurd a grateful smile. Seeing Zhu Xueyan's speech and demeanor today, she responded very decently. changed her usual chivalrous demeanor and turned into a lady gorgeously, and couldn't help but be secretly surprised.

The current Zhu Xueyan, under her own subtlety, has become different from before.

Sure enough, this man. It still needs to be grown......

The group came to the living room and sat down, and under Mrs. Hurd's advance arrangement, the servants who had been prepared for a long time served sumptuous refreshments to the guests, Hurd and Lin Yiqing chatted while eating, and Mrs. Hurd and Zhu Xueyan were quietly drinking tea on the side, tasting pastries, and listening to their conversation.

"I read about your deeds in Japan in the newspapers, and I was very surprised and admired you very much." Hurd first mentioned Lin Yiqing's incident during the war in the southwest of Japan, "I was still very curious. I've long had a question: What are you doing for the people of that strange land? ”

"For justice and freedom." Lin Yiqing replied, "I live among the people of that land, who have paid too much for the prosperity of the country of Japan, but have received hunger, poverty, and hostility, and I cannot turn a blind eye to their suffering, so I am determined to lead them against the oppression of tyranny." The right to freedom and a happy life. ”

"But it's a bloody road!" Hurd sighed. "Don't you know that? Whether you win or lose in the end, many will lose their lives because of it. ”

“Thetreeoflibertymustberefreshedfromtimetotimewiththebloodofpatriotsandtyrants。” Lin Yiqing said a sentence in English, probably afraid that Zhu Xueyan on the side would not understand, and explained in Qian's Chinese, "The flower of freedom needs to be often watered with the blood of patriots and tyrants." Isn't it? ”

Hearing Lin Yiqing's bold answer, Hurd's heart was shocked for a while.

"Although our struggle was ultimately lost. But the price we paid with blood was not unrewarded, at least now more than 100,000 people are still living freely in the sun, without the pain of hunger and oppression. Lin Yiqing continued, "Among them, there are many people who are descendants of people who sacrificed. They will no longer suffer what their ancestors suffered. ”

"You are a respectable man, Lin." Hurd looked at Lin Yiqing's eyes and involuntarily leaned forward, "However, what I still want to know is that you have returned to your motherland, if those people who followed you back then encounter the same danger again, will you still save them and lead them to fight as before?" ”

"Of course." Lin Yiqing nodded and gave an affirmative answer, "However, I won't allow that to happen." He smiled at Hurd, "I want to arm them as much as possible, as well as my motherland, and I want to completely defeat Japan and Russia." ”

"How do you do that? Develop the Navy? Hurd smiled as well, and naturally led the conversation to something that both of them were interested in.

"Yes, Japan is an island nation, and if you want to defeat it, you can't do it without a strong navy." Lin Yiqing said, "Do you know what my most powerful weapon is to protect the people who have retreated from Kyushu Island? It was these two second-class ironclad ships that made the Japanese government dare not cross the sea to pursue and slaughter the people who originally belonged to Japan. Now these two ironclads still have the responsibility to protect the people there, and I think you know them very well, because they are excellent warships built in your homeland, the British Empire. ”

Hearing Lin Yiqing's deliberate emphasis on the fact that the two ironclad ships of the Satsuma Navy were made by the British, Hurd seemed to understand something, and a happy smile appeared on his face.

"Yes, I know very well the deeds of these two heroic warships, which, under your command, have achieved extraordinary results." Hurd also complimented Lin Yiqing at the right time, "As far as I know, your motherland does not have an ironclad ship similar to these two warships. ”

"Yes! This is a very serious problem, in fact, China's coastal defense situation, the need for a number of larger ironclad ships, although China's shipyards are still building and expanding, but the construction of more than 10,000 tons of ironclad ships still face a lot of difficulties, although we have received help from the French side, but we very much hope that Britain can help us. Lin Yiqing said, "If we can buy large ironclad ships from Britain, it will greatly improve China's coastal defense situation." ”

Hearing Lin Yiqing propose that Qianguo should buy a large ironclad ship of 10,000 tons, Hurd was shocked by his courage again, but this sentence also made him explore Lin Yiqing's reality.

Although this man had many experiences in commanding naval battles and had a unique understanding of the role of the navy, he seemed to have forgotten one thing, that is, the financial situation of his homeland......

Moreover, he still doesn't seem to understand what kind of state this country's navy is in!

It's time to give him a little "reminder".

"What you say is very good, but I want to remind you that Lin, the cost of a large ironclad ship is huge, and it is difficult for a country with poor financial conditions to afford." Hurd said. (To be continued.) )

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