Hengchun Garden, Zhaoqing Prefecture.

If it is said that the two power centers of the Qing Dynasty, one in the south and one in the north, one bright and one dark, are still in the embryonic stage, then the two power centers in Guangdong Province are gradually taking shape, and anyone with a discerning eye can see it.

Shengbao, the governor of Liangguang, almost did not stay in Guangzhou for a few days, and remained in Zhaoqing in the name of coordinating and assisting in military affairs, which made it difficult for local officials to prepare two copies of official documents, one to be sent to the Guangzhou General's Mansion and one to the Zhaoqing Governor's Office.

After the six kings ascended the throne, the number of officials who went to Zhaoqing to meet the governor and listen to the teachings also increased, and Zhaoqing gradually became another power and political center in Guangdong.

Hengchun Garden in Zhaoqing City is plain and sparse, rich in the interest of mountains and forests, it is the ancestral business of a wealthy merchant surnamed Liu in Zhaoqing, and now it is given to the Governor and has become the Governor of the Governor's line.

At this time, there were four or five officials sitting in the flower hall of Hengchun Garden.

Shengbao, the governor of Liangguang, has been embarrassed in front of Ye Zhao many times, but at this time he is calmly holding an enamel teacup and drinking tea, why? The six kings ascended the throne, and their hearts were happy, and they had the capital to fight back.

Huang Liangwei, the commander-in-chief of the land military affairs of Guangdong Province, was amazingly fat, and the sandalwood openwork chair creaked under his buttocks, and it seemed that it might fall apart at any time. But this big fat man, but no one can ignore it, the green battalion in Guangdong Province is subject to its control, is second only to Jing Gong military attache real power figures, hands stained with the blood of the Guangdong Hongmen congregation, although the British and French invasion of Guangdong broke the Guangdong green camp system, plus Jing Shuai incorporated, most of the green battalion soldiers were incorporated into Jing Shuai's departments, but he still has several battalions of green battalion scheduling, not to mention that even if Jing Shuai strikers are more in the left and right wings, even if these former green battalion generals change the court, but there is always an old boss friendship for him.

Sheng Bao didn't expect that Huang Liangwei would agree to go up with him and make it difficult for Jing Xiang, but if he thought about it again, he was relieved, no matter how Jing Xiang tried to win him over, it was always a fact that this feudal official with heavy troops in his hands was set aside, Huang Liangwei looked fat and stupid, but in fact, he was more enthusiastic about power than anyone else, how could he become a light general?

Needless to say, the resistance to Guangdong Xinxue is the most fierce, and he has already played Jingxiang several times, not to mention the joint invitation to the Guangzhou general to return the civil excerpt, and he also feels that the wording of the excerpt is too tepid.

Tang Shuyi, the political envoy of Jiaqing, was raised in 21 years, successively served as the governor of Hanyang Mansion, the prefect of Gongchang in Gansu, and the envoy of Hubei Province.

Salt transport envoy Ma Fuchen, Daoguang fifteen years of Jinshi, more than fifty years old, spirited, looks a group of harmony, Confucianism extraordinary, in fact, when he was the first Shaanxi Fengfen salt law Taoist, he made enough silver, came to this richest area in eastern Guangdong thought that he could show off his silver fists, who knows Jing Shuai's new policy, trade and simple affairs, he this salt transport envoy is almost dispensable, power is divided up by Guangdong Customs and various trade agencies, although he is submissive to Ye Zhao on the face, but he is only afraid of looking forward to Ye Zhao's downfall, than Shengbao, Tian Gui and others.

Sheng Bao looked at the officials present, quite complacent, and never expected that there would be many people dissatisfied with Jingxiang, among the provincial officials, only the governor Bai Gui and the envoy Li Jianchen were in collusion with him, and they were embarrassed.

Bai Gui didn't say it, there was no Jingxiang, I was afraid that his black yarn would be lost immediately, but Li Jianchen was a well-known Confucian, and his books such as "Shou Zhai Teachings", "Shou Zhai Miscellaneous Works", "Song Humble Zhai Poems" and other anthologies were recited for a while, and they would be mixed with the deviant Huangkou Xiaoer, which was really incomprehensible.

According to the name of the procurator in charge of a provincial punishment, I heard that it was the yellow-mouthed child who was in the law, but he was quite praised by Li Jianchen, called the Chaowen Avenue and the evening death, and he began to do his best to help Jingxiang, as if he wanted to engage in some local laws such as Guangdong trade laws, and this Jingxiang's [***] soup was also very powerful.

But in any case, the chief member of Guangdong, he accounts for four of the six, and Jingxiang's new policy is said to be perverse, but if he doesn't believe it, he can't win this yellow-mouthed child.

"How many people have been named in this excerpt?" Katsuho put down his teacup and asked Gakumasa-sama with a smile.

Tian Gui twisted his beard and said quite proudly: "Huizhou, Leizhou, and Gaozhou are all willing to be named. "He was not afraid of offending people, but he became the best person to contact the provincial officials.

Sheng Bao said in his heart, good guy, Tian Gui is really old and strong, and learning is learning.

Tian Gui said hatefully: "In my humble opinion, if this post is not a joint name to Jingxiang, the emperor Shengming, and the queen mother of the two palaces, he will never be called such nonsense!" ”

Sheng Bao smiled silently and looked at Admiral Huang Liangwei.

Huang Liangwei seemed to have been closing his eyes to recuperate, and occasionally there was a slight snoring sound, which made several officials look sideways from time to time, and some officials secretly laughed at him in their hearts.

Who knew that he suddenly opened his eyes, his eyes were like lightning, extremely powerful, but it was only for a short moment, and it soon dimmed, with a sleepy and dizzy aura, and his mouth said vaguely: "If you want to hurry, you can't reach it, and if you want to hurry, you can't reach it!" ”

I don't know who he is Tang Shuyi and Yan Yun made Ma Fuchen stunned, this Maitreya Buddha is not simple, no wonder the Governor values him so much.

Sheng Bao smiled and said: "The words of the military gate are good, but if you want to hurry, you can't reach it, not to mention that General Jingxiang has a way to raise troops, even if he acts absurdly, but the emperor wants to cherish talents, and it is appropriate to use him to lead the troops to the north and exterminate the bandits." ”

Tang Shuyi and Ma Fuchen, the envoy of Yanyun, both nodded.

Admiral Xuezheng Tian Gui snorted in his nose: "There is a way to raise troops? It's just luck, Shenbao, Harwich, and Han Jinchun are all not afraid of death, but what does it have to do with him? ”

Sheng Bao smiled and picked up the teacup, Tang Shuyi and Ma Fuchen also felt that Xuetai's words entered their hearts.

Maitreya Buddha Huang Liangwei squinted his eyes again and began to recuperate.

…… In the flower hall of the General's Mansion, Ye Zhao slowly tasted tea, sitting on the red leather embroidered phoenix sofa, Li Xiaocun sat respectfully and straight.

Ye Zhao glanced at him and said lightly: "I heard that yesterday you went to the Nancheng Patrol Bureau to apply for the patrol of intercepting foreign merchants' carriages?" ”

Li Xiaocun was suddenly shocked, he really couldn't hide anything from his grandfather, and lowered his head and said: "Yes, Mr. Daley complained that he didn't know how to be polite, and the students went to the Nancheng Patrol Bureau, and they also found that there were many patrols who didn't understand civilization, spitting, and speaking vulgarly......"

Ye Zhao waved his hand to interrupt him, "Not civilized? And he laughed.

Li Xiaocun didn't know what his grandfather was laughing at, and he didn't dare to ask.

"Things always have to come step by step, these patrols are all rude men, but they are cute, and they are many times stronger than the so-called civilized patrols in the West. What is civilization? Is the blatant discrimination against Chinese by the British police and the Indian police in Hong Kong civilized? Ye Zhao's words became more and more harsh, and Li Xiaocun's forehead was sweating, and he didn't dare to speak.

"Why can't foreign merchants find out? If there is something suspicious about the vehicle, why can't it be checked? ”

Seeing that Li Xiaocun's face was pale, Ye Zhao's tone softened, "Xiaocun, you yourself often say that Chinese and foreign people are treated equally, in front of foreigners, your backbone has to straighten up for me!" ”

"Yes, the student is wrong!" Li Xiaocun looked ashamed, red and white, for the first time he was scolded by his grandfather, he felt quite uncomfortable, and he knew that this matter was just a cause, and his grandfather was taking the opportunity to point himself out.

Li Xiaocun is a good hand at running foreign business, although he fights with reason in official affairs, but deep in his heart, he still yearns for the strength and prosperity of the West, and he is even more inferior to the situation of the Chinese people.

Originally, Ye Zhao planned to set up a Bureau of Commerce, and asked the Empress Dowager of the Two Palaces to appoint Li Xiaocun as the Minister of Commerce Bureau and the Superintendent of Guangdong Customs.

Everyone outside knows that Ye Zhao has two Lis by his side, Li Xiaocun, the first master of the shogunate, and Li Jianchen, the envoy of Guangdong, but Ye Zhao knows that he really has three Lis under him, and he has to add a Li Hongzhang.

It's just that Li Hongzhang has just come to Guangdong, and everything is unknown, so I'm afraid that he is still experiencing the freshness of Guangzhou.

"Go ahead, gradually Fu has just come to Guangdong, and you have to mention him more in case of trouble." Ye Zhao picked up the teacup.

"Yes, students obey!" Li Xiaocun hurriedly got up and said goodbye.

As soon as Li Xiaocun left on the front foot, Tao Chaoqing, the director of the Internal Affairs Bureau, was led into the flower hall by the guards on the back foot.

Lighting a cigarette, Ye Zhao smiled and handed the tin box of cigarettes to Tao Chaoqing, "Here's one, this thing is stronger than dry tobacco." "Li Xiaocun doesn't smoke, Ye Zhao won't let him, and the big guys who can't always be brought will become big chimneys like the cadres of later generations, and Tao Chaoqing smokes dry cigarettes, so Ye Zhao is rare to be able to light a cigarette when talking about things.

Not smoking among people who don't smoke is a basic moral.

Tao Chaoqing respectfully took the cigarette case with both hands, raised it high, took a few steps back, and opened it carefully, this series of actions was done in one go, as if the grandfather had rewarded some treasure.

Looking at him, and then remembering the situation when you pushed me to let me when you smoked in the later life, Ye Zhao couldn't help but smile and shook his head.

took out a cigarette, and carefully placed the iron box on the ink-colored marble coffee table, Tao Chaoqing finally did not take the foreign fire on the coffee table, and ate cigarettes in front of the grandfather, always felt disrespectful, and said respectfully: "Grandpa, the slave takes it back to eat." ”

Ye Zhao nodded slightly and asked, "What can you find out?" ”

"Grandpa, the man in Wanfulou is in charge of the cook, and no one has absconded." Tao Chaoqing was also very strange when he sent people to investigate, according to the porridge craftsman in the Grandpa's Mansion, there was no contact with outsiders along the way, and it was definitely not someone who moved halfway, there was only one possibility, that is, there was an assassin accomplice in Wanfu Building, I thought that he would have gone away a long time ago, but who knew but stayed, what was the plot? Or is the artist bold and really not afraid of being recognized?

"Oh? So what do you think? Ye Zhao slowly snuffed out the cigarette butt, but this was something he hadn't expected.

"The slave thinks that if he takes all of them into the prison for torture, he is afraid that he will not be able to ask any clues, the thief is so bold, he must have another plan, it is better to be still, the slave has already sent someone to investigate the foundation of the people in Wanfulou, and sent someone to monitor, and he will not be let away by it, and then reason."

Ye Zhao nodded slightly, "Just do as you say." ”

"There's one more thing about the minion."

Ye Zhao smiled: "What's going on over there in Zhaoqing?" ”

Tao Chaoqing's face showed admiration, "The grandfather is really magical, and the slave is unpredictable before he speaks." ”

Ye Zhao waved his hand, "Yes, why don't you learn something good from your bureau president, his flower and flower Taoism have been learned, let me tell you, don't pour the soup!" ”

Tao Chaoqing smiled awkwardly, in fact, he didn't mean to be a sycophant, sometimes he did feel that this master's eyes were like torches, but he was shrewd and frightening.

However, hearing the intimacy in his grandfather's words, Tao Chaoqing suddenly felt that his grandfather was not only respectable and terrifying, but also amiable, and bowed down and said: "This matter is not very secret, Xuetai Tiangui, Tang Shuyi, and Yanyun envoy Ma Fuchen all went to Zhaoqing, and the Taiwan and military gates that were already in Zhaoqing seemed to meet frequently. ”

Tao Chaoqing also knew that Xuetai, Fantai, and Yanyun all went to Zhaoqing together, that is, they were not afraid of being known by their grandfather, and these people were determined to do it with their grandfather.

Ye Zhao nodded slightly, "Got it." "I don't see joy or sorrow.

…… In the blink of an eye, it was time for the Patrol Bureau to leave work, Ye Zhao sat at the information desk for more than half a day, but it was stuffy, he grabbed his hat and was about to go out, Debin was ready to pick up his wife Guo Luo Luo to come to Guangzhou, and Yanjing sent a letter, Guo Luo Luo had already left a few days ago, but he was going to help Debin prepare for it, and the new mansion of his couple was always more comfortable than in the capital.

"Brother Ye!" As soon as the glass door leading to the courtyard of the Patrol Bureau opened in the inquiry room, a big black man came in, patrolling the sunspots, and Ye Zhao had sealed the gambling hall together, and he admired Ye Zhao the most.

"Kuroko." Ye Zhao nodded at him and wanted to leave.

"Brother Ye, I'll invite you to dinner tonight, Wanfulou ......" Heizi said with a red face, making Ye Zhao stunned, what kind of meal did he invite himself to eat? What is the redness of the face? Where to go? Wan Fu Lou? That's a coincidence.

"Xiaocui, you, come too." Kuroko turned his head and stammered to Ma Xiaocui, his black face almost turned purple.

Ye Zhao suddenly, okay, it turns out that he is just a disguise, and the real target of daring is Ma Xiaocui, this kid has also learned to love and chase girls freely, but it's very good!

Ma Xiaocui packed up the paperwork and didn't raise her head: "Don't go, what are you doing in that place, it's ridiculously expensive!" ”

Kuroko immediately deflated again, and let out a dejected "snort".

Ye Zhao is so funny, if you want to tease the sunspot, do you still invite me? But when he saw his appearance, he couldn't bear it, so he smiled and said to Ma Xiaocui: "Sister, let's go together, it's rare to kill a sunspot, but you have to make him bleed." ”

Ma Xiaocui cut her hair short a month ago, with a dark black police uniform, and a bright silver star on her shoulders, Sven Xiu added a bit of heroism, she listened to Ye Zhao's words, full of helplessness, this person, three days of fishing and two days of drying nets, and self-cooked, I don't know when the sister called herself, but it is strange that people feel kind.

"Go ahead, then you have to have a treat, you are a big family." Ma Xiaocui stroked the flowing bangs on her forehead and smiled mischievously.

"No, no, the chef of Wanfulou is my second uncle, I know all the guys, let's go later, it won't take a few dollars." There was hope in Kuroko's eyes again, and he hurriedly said.

Listening to the words of the sunspot, Ye Zhao's eyes flashed, he pulled out his pocket watch and looked at it, and said: "It's eight o'clock, let's go at eight o'clock, charter the venue, put a full table, invite your second uncle and the guys in the restaurant to rub a meal, and it will be regarded as your official salary, and you will be honored, isn't it glorifying your ancestors?" "Although there is gradually a nightlife in Guangzhou today, but at ** o'clock, the restaurant teahouse and even the Jiyuan will also be closed at the time of the board, and at eight o'clock to charter the table, it will not cost much silver, and you can leave all the guys, just right.

Kuroko had a sad face: "Bag, charter? "If you charter the venue, I'm afraid that this month's salary is not enough, so it's better not to eat and drink.

Nowadays, the monthly salary of patrols has been changed to silver dollars, such as the lowest-level patrols such as Heizi and Ye Zhao, three coins per month, which is about two taels of silver, but it has increased the salary in disguise.

It's a pity that Ye Zhao hasn't gotten a penny of silver since he became a patrolman. Inspector Wei Dingyi is also used to it, and it is estimated that Ye Zhao is the child of a rich family who was forced by his family to come out to do things, which can be regarded as experience. This kid is clever, his ideas are also lively, sometimes when he encounters problems, Wei Dingyi likes to discuss it with Ye Zhao, but he thinks that it is not a matter to go on like this, he can't get a penny of silver, and it is estimated that he will not grow up when he goes home, and sooner or later this kid will have to pick a child. Wei Dingyi reported to the General Administration, requesting that Ye Zhao be given special treatment, or demoted to a supernumerary casual worker, and that he would be paid in ten years, but unfortunately the General Administration did not approve it, it seems that this kid is not very hard, otherwise he will report this matter by himself, and the request is reasonable, how can it be rejected?

Although he didn't take a penny of silver, Ye Zhao was very angry: "It's okay, don't worry, Heizi, I will pay for the silver that is chartered, and you Brother Ye don't care about it." ”

Ma Xiaocui muttered in her heart, and she knew how to put the score.

"W-isn't this okay?" Kuroko's face turned red.

Ye Zhao said with a smile: "You said it yourself, is it now the glory of the ancestors?" ”

Heizi blushed and nodded, but no, eating official salary, returning to his hometown is like the emperor returning to the village, everyone in the village comes to pick up, the neighbors are envious, and the father and mother are also proud of themselves, often saying that the ancestral tomb is smoking, and the sunspot is out. The second uncle of Wanfulou who did things, used to rely on his own skills to be a Cantonese chef, and when he returned to the village, he didn't lift his eyelids when he saw his family. All this, isn't it because he has become a patrolman?

Ye Zhao smiled: "That's it, I'm your eldest brother, I don't help you fight for face, who will help you fight for face?" We always have to put on a glorious appearance in front of your second uncle. ”

Heizi is clumsy and clumsy, how can he say Ye Zhao? Scratching his head, he said, "But, I want Brother Ye to break the bank......"

Ye Zhao waved his hand: "If something happens to me and someone sets me up, will you help me with the knife?" ”

Heizi immediately straightened his chest, and said angrily: "Won't I help Brother Ye or human?" ”

Ye Zhao smiled: "This is amazing? Let's go, let's take a stroll, and that's pretty much the time we get there. He turned his head to Ma Xiaocui and said, "I asked you to slaughter you fiercely today, don't worry, it's going to be too late, I'll hire a carriage to send you." ”

Ma Xiaocui saw that the pomp was getting bigger and bigger, but she didn't want to go, she had a short mouth to eat people, this Ye Zhao was not in shape, who knew if there would be friends in the criminal department who would have to wait for help in the future?

But Heizi had already diligently helped her pack up the paperwork, and rushed to sweep the floor, Ma Xiaocui shook her head, so she had to let them.

Wanfu Building in Xicheng, is the flag city was destroyed after the construction, from the police station to walk less than an hour, the moonlight is dim, the sunspot lit the lantern and walked in front, into the city, saw that the West Street was dug on both sides of the pit, near the shop was demolished, there are mounds of dirt everywhere, the main road of the street is also piled up with gravel, messy, Ma Xiaocuiqi said: "I don't know what the whole day is tossing?" ”

Ye Zhaoxin said that he would be the governor of the province in the future, and his name was probably Ye Dudao, indeed, whether it was water or tap water, there was almost no time for the streets of Guangzhou City to rest.

Pointing to the side roads on both sides, Ye Zhao said: "This is called the expansion of the road, look at the gravel in the middle of the road, prepare to repair the rail bus pulled by the carriage, from Guangzhou City to Huangpu Port in the future, a few copper coins will arrive, but you don't need to hire a carriage to break the bank, our Guangzhou City population will be more and more, plus there is a railway track, the original street can be narrow, naturally to expand, provincial planning, naturally the sooner the better, so as not to temporarily cling to the Buddha's feet." ”

He pointed to the pits that were dug on both sides, and said: "This is to prepare to set up telephone poles to pave street lights, in the future, slowly, we will have bright gas lamps on the streets of Guangzhou City, and then you don't need to carry lanterns with sunspots." ”

Ma Xiaocui sighed: "That, that's really good." ”

Heizi said admiringly: "Brother Ye, you know so much." "It's that Ma Xiaocui and Ye Zhao have been together for a long time, and they don't realize anything, and unconsciously, Ma Xiaocui always asks Ye Zhao when she encounters something she doesn't understand, and she is often immediately relieved of her doubts and knows a lot of new things.

Ye Zhao smiled: "You can read more newspapers and you will know." "The Chinese version of "Yue Bao" has been released, and the General's Mansion will ask all yamen to subscribe, and the Xiguan Branch Bureau is also within the scope of subscription.

Kuroko was ashamed and said, "I can't read. ”

Although Ma Xiaocui is literate, she learned it later, official document records, etc., if she writes it, she often has to deal with the aftermath of the branch paperwork, because she will see many circles and forks in the text, although she can guess the meaning by reading the full text, but every time Ye Zhao sees her transcript, he will snicker.

In fact, the General Administration has long opened a cultural course, each sub-bureau dispatched patrols and arrests to take turns to learn, although the current patrol is not necessarily how high the culture, for the time being there is no condition, but the commonly used words must be recognized, can not be written, always have to know, and patrol promotion, literacy and hyphenation is a must, from next year, there will be a large-scale assessment, after training, commonly used words or do not know a few patrols, ready to retreat or turn back to the left and right wings of the flag.

This was also notified a long time ago, and sure enough, the sunspot seemed to remember this, and said worriedly: "My mushy head, I just can't read, I don't know if I can pass the test next year." ”

Ma Xiaocui glared at him: "No one is stupid, it's because you don't have to worry about it, so you don't have to find useless excuses." ”

Kuroko shook her head and sighed, not daring to contradict her.

Seeing that he had arrived at Wanfu Building in front of him, Ye Zhao took out a handful of silver dollars from his pocket, about six or seven, stuffed them into Heizi's hand, and said, "Take it, and tell your second uncle in a while, you have a treat, and you will be majestic with him." ”

(To be continued)