After the "Queen of the Pacific" left Tokyo Bay, the storm in the Pacific Ocean stopped after entering the Tsushima Strait via the Bungo Kaido, and the tranquil Yellow Sea seemed to welcome back the returning wanderer.

It was evening, and the sky and the sea were dyed red by the setting sun. Lying on the railing of the ship, looking at the sea and sky dyed crimson by the setting sun, he seemed to see the smoke of the naval battle in the Yellow Sea during the First Sino-Japanese period, and the tragedy of the naval battle in the Yellow Sea described by the foreign soldiers of Namajifen in New York, and the bravery of the officers and men of the naval division.

“…… At the same time, he also saw that although China, an empire in decline, could one day rise in the East! ”

Seven years ago, after returning to the United States, the words in the American newspapers were whispered to Guan Mingtang from time to time.

Twenty-four years ago, he went looking for this answer, thinking he had found it.

Twenty-four years later, he was still confused, he didn't know himself to find this answer.

Twenty-five years ago, he was only sixteen years old, in the county examination, the government examination and the provincial school and political institute examination, the first class of the first class, and won the entrance examination, but that day, talking with friends by the river, Guan Mingtang saw the ironclad foreign wheel for the first time in his life, and the ironclad foreign wheel that the Jiang people are accustomed to seeing was a surprise to him.

A year later, when he was ready to participate in the Study Abroad Bureau, the Bureau of Overseas Studies was about to be abolished, although the official assignment could not be retained, but he went to Shanghai by boat without permission, and stole a foreign sailing ship from Shanghai, and went to the United States as a smuggler.

In the United States, Guan Mingtang saw with his own eyes the material civilization of the United States during the period of great development, and in the 24 years in the United States, in order to earn school tuition, he dug coal, entered a factory, built a railroad, worked as a servant, delivered newspapers, sold fruits, worked as a lawyer, and participated in water conservancy projects.

Twenty-four years later, a teenager who was once no more than a weak crown has become middle-aged. Twenty-four years, he has been looking for an answer, from a teenager to a middle-aged, but this answer still seems to be far away from him.

The ship was sailing on the Yellow Sea, and Guan Mingtang knew that at this time tomorrow, his twenty-four years of study in the United States would be completely overturned. In the 24 years he spent in the United States, he earned a doctorate in law, economics, and even three degrees in philosophy, hydraulic engineering, and history.

He needed to start writing in this land he was familiar with, and he was so confused about the future, even when he left twenty-four years ago.

The weather has been very sunny and the journey has been smooth sailing. But people are bored and lonely. Sometimes Guan Mingtang would go to the stern of the boat to see the white waves rising behind and the sea that seemed to be getting farther and farther away. There are always seagulls chasing the ships on the sea, their wings shining silver in the sun. It's a little better at night.

The sea in the moonlight is extraordinarily pure and vast; And at night when there is no moonlight, under the light of the sky, the sea is swollen, deep and beautiful. At night, when the ship docked off the coast of Qingdao, looking at the lights on the shore, he had the illusion of his hometown, even though he knew that his hometown would never have electric lights and western-style houses.

It has been 24 years since he left home, what has happened to the people and things in his hometown, whether his father, mother, and even the wife who has passed through the door but has not had sex with him at home, are they well, and whether they have forgiven him, an unfilial son who does not return. Especially when the ship was getting closer and closer to the mouth of the Yangtze River, his homesickness became even more urgent. I think of the big jujube trees at the entrance of the village, the old willow trees that cover the sky next to the village border, and the old village garden that is still covered by dirt fences and small ditches.

Everything in his hometown has appeared in his dreams again and again in the past twenty-four years, and in the past twenty-four years, how many times have he woken up in his dreams with tears in his dreams, and when he started to think of returning to China, he was left by that question.

Twenty-four years later, he finally returned, and the ship continued to move forward, and the mouth of the Yangtze River was already in sight. The sunset was big and round, floating on the sea, the water near and far was dyed red, and the seagulls skimmed low across the stern of the boat, chasing the passing waves. This situation is particularly sad. He knew that home was close at hand, and he could immediately plunge into the warm embrace of the long-lost home.

The night has quietly fallen, I don't know if it is because of the night after the sunset fades.

The ship finally came to shore. Guan Mingtang happily picked up his luggage, walked out of the cabin, and boarded the dock. However, as soon as he stepped on the streets of the concession, his heart immediately cooled half: this is the land of Chinese, but it is a place for foreigners. Why is this happening? Why?

He didn't want to stay long, so he turned around and boarded the ship bound for Anqing again. Anqing, Anqing, after 24 years of absence, is more poor and hungry than when he left, and you can see hungry people begging on the street everywhere. He didn't want to wander the streets anymore, so he hid in the house. It's an inn, and although it's shabby, it's not as noisy as the street because of its remote location. He wanted to be quiet, he needed to be quiet, and yet, he couldn't.

"Maybe I can go and meet the master tomorrow! Maybe you should go home first! ”

Thinking about his future, Guan Mingtang had some longing for the future, but at this moment, he was awakened by a baby's cry, and he couldn't sleep after tossing and turning, so he simply went outside for a walk. As he stepped out of the inn, he was stunned by what was happening outside. Under the low eaves of the moonlight, there were people lying all over the place.

In the corner, a ragged woman reclined. Her eyes were half-closed, her hair was shaggy, and her arms were open, revealing a pair of shriveled ruals. A baby arched in her arms, crying incessantly. The woman didn't care, she didn't ask, she let the baby cry incessantly. Is she dead?

Walking over, the woman opened her eyes. She told him that she had fled the famine, and that her husband's whereabouts were suddenly unknown, but he was still surrounded by six children, waiting for him...... The woman was given some money, and walked slowly back to the room with heavy steps. Guan Mingtang, who was in a heavy mood, is now not sleepy at all, is this his homeland after 24 years of absence?

Twenty-four years of parting only made this homeland poorer, and the people here more hungry, he searched for the answer for twenty-four years, but he needed to make it in this more dilapidated and crumbling place, but can he make that answer here?

Kowtowed respectfully, kowtowed, although he listened to Liu Nengxian's instructions to stand up, he didn't dare to look up, his eyes were always looking at the floor, and he didn't dare to come out and wait for the Queen Mother to ask.

"What the hell is this car?"

The Queen Mother, who was sitting on Fengluan, asked clearly.

After the Gengzi disaster, after experiencing the "tragic experience" of the Eight-Nation Coalition Army entering Beijing and fleeing all the way to Xi'an in a panic disguised as a civilian woman, the Empress Dowager Cixi understood that foreigners could not be provoked. She not only ordered the ministers to "measure China's material resources and form a friendship with the country", but after Xi'an returned to Yanjing, she also paid special attention to establishing good relations with the ministers of various countries stationed in Yanjing and the minister's wives.

In recent years, when she received the ladies of the diplomatic corps, she often heard the ladies of the diplomatic corps mention automobiles, and the most talked about by the ladies was the "Pegasus" car made in Shanghai, and then the "Yanjing to Paris" car rally.

Two months earlier, on June 5, 1902, newspapers in France, England, Germany, and the United States had published a challenge that caused a great sensation throughout Europe.

"Does anyone want to drive from Yanjing to Paris this summer?"

The greatest car adventure ever! This word was used in almost all the newspapers, but what caused madness in Europe and the United States was the prize money offered by the greatest venture, and the champion could receive - 300,000 taels of silver.

How much is 300,000 taels of silver? It doesn't matter, the photos of 909 standard 400-ounce large silver bars and small silver bars are placed there, and of course they will inevitably be converted into national currencies.

At this time Karl? It was only 16 years since Benz invented the three-wheeled "new car", and only eight years after the first motor sporting event in human history. In 1894, the first automobile race was held in Paris, starting from Paris, France, and ending in Rouen.

The adventure departed from Paris to Yenching, which was 100 times longer than Paris to Rouen.

At the beginning of June, the French Minister to China, John Bisen, said in a note to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Qing Dynasty that the Automobile Federation of Paris plans to hold a car rally from Yanjing, China, to Paris, France, and will start from Yanjing in mid-August.

Unbeknownst to Bi Sheng, of course, that in addition to establishing the technical superiority of the car over the horse-drawn carriage and promoting the spirit of adventure, the most important thing was that the Automobile Federation of Paris organized this race with the sponsorship of a mysterious sponsor, although they had only been in contact with the sponsor's lawyer.

With the help of the French minister, this greatest car rally in history was easily recognized by the Qing political axe, but because the Qing Dynasty participated in the car rally for the first time, the road in its territory was bumpy, and chaos was feared.

In his message, Qing Zhengaxe specifically pointed out: The number of cars participating in the race is fixed at 300, and no matter what danger occurs in China, the Chinese political axe will not bear responsibility, and if the cars pass everywhere, if there is any harm to the lives and property of the Chinese people, the Paris Automobile Federation should be responsible for compensation.

Naturally, this request was accepted one by one, and the mysterious patron offered eighty thousand pounds of patronage. The reason why it is 300 cars, this is strongly requested by the Paris Automobile Federation, in the excitement of the huge prize money and the encouragement of the adventurous spirit, car manufacturers and car drivers in Europe and the United States are like crazy to sign up, only in France there are as many as 27 drivers, 13 cars to participate, and according to the statistics of the newspapers responsible for the registration of various countries, in addition to the fifteen cars left for the sponsors, it is only half a month that there have been more than 220 cars, nearly 600 drivers have signed up, and when they set off for China, 300 cars, There will be more, not less.

By the time Cixi said this, American and European cruise ships had already carried 563 cars and 1,156 drivers.

"Back to the Queen Mother...... Back to Galeries Lafayette! ”

Perhaps because he was summoned by Lafayette for the first time, Liu Nengxian seemed a little nervous, so his speech was very slow and intermittently incoherent, not to mention that he really didn't know how to explain the car.

"It's a car about the same size as a train, about the same size as a horse-drawn carriage, and it doesn't need to be pulled by a horse, and it doesn't take the railway!"

"Oh!"

His reply did not satisfy Cixi, as if she remembered something, Cixi asked again.

"I heard that in the factory of that industrial company in Shanghai, it also makes cars!"

This is what she heard from the minister's wife, saying that there was a company in Shanghai, and even a factory run by the people of the Qing Dynasty, which also produced automobiles, which could be bought in Shanghai and Nanjing.

After this banquet, she thought about it and wanted to ask about the industrial company, so she heard Xiao Lizi say that the industrial company was recommended by Liu Kunyi, the governor of Liangjiang, and also said that Liu Nengxian, the nephew of the governor of Liangjiang, is now serving in the Hanlin Courtyard in Beijing, so he will know.

"Back to Galeries Lafayette, it's the industrial company Pegasus Automobile Factory, and they made some foreign cars! Slave...... The minion also bought one and left it at Jiangning's house! Correct...... I'm thinking about when to bring the car into the capital! ”

Liu Nengxian has recovered some confidence at this time, but no, there are a few princes in the capital who have cars, but he Liu Nengxian has one.

As soon as he replied, Cixi was interested.

"So, is the car really made in Shanghai? Who made it! ”

"Back to Galeries Lafayette!"

hesitated, Liu Nengxian was a little deceitful.

"The car is really made in Shanghai, even the engine is made by Pegasus, and it is also marked with Chinese character code, the person who made the car, I think Lafayette Xu still has some imprints, it is Chen Moran, who donated 100,000 taels of silver to the Governor of Liangjiang last year, and Lafayette also rewarded him with a top and yellow coat from the third grade!"

This reply made Lafayette's face smile, and she really didn't have any impression of Chen Moran who donated silver to show filial piety.

"It's rare that he has that filial piety, and it's even more rare that this ability is praised by foreigners!"

Seeing a smile on Lafayette's face, Li Lianying immediately bent over and asked for peace, "Lafayette, I never thought that Chen Moran not only has filial piety, but also has such a ability to make foreigners praise!" Just ......"

said that, but the taste changed, Li Lianying was annoyed! He had heard of Chen Moran's name, and he had run both Pudong and an iron factory, and he spent millions of dollars, but he had never seen him give him a single piece of silver. Although Sheng Xuanhuai said that there were many flowers in his intestines, he never had less courtesy to himself.

"This made a car, how do you not know how to send it to the palace and honor Lafayette! Don't really be a foreigner's thing, learn to learn and forget that filial piety! ”

Li Lianying's words of praise and depreciation, Liu Nengxian, who was only shocked, sweated behind his back, it is really this eunuch who kills people without a knife! Eyelids lifted slightly, the face of the Lafayette was pulled down, obviously moved by this damn eunuch, and remembered Chen Moran's sin of forgetting filial piety.

I wanted to say it for the lame man, but I remembered my uncle's advice.

"Heaven and earth are not as great as Lafayette's power!" And more than half of Lafayette's power was "skillfully" held in Li Lianying's hands! Such a power prisoner can praise it, and if he can respect it, he will respect it, and it is impossible to sin it! ”

With this thought in his heart, Liu Nengxian, who originally opened his mouth and wanted to speak for Chen Moran, closed his eyes, how could there be ten or eight people who fell into the hands of Li Lianying, a dead eunuch, for so many years, and when he said these words today, it was obvious that Chen Cripple either did not send silver, or did not send enough silver.

In his heart, Liu Nengxian still hopes that the lame man still sent silver, and he can make up for it if he doesn't send enough silver, but if he doesn't send silver, it will really be a great disrespect to Gonggong Li.

Li Lianying was beside her, and when she saw Liu Nengxian's desire to speak, she couldn't help but feel a little proud in her heart, if this is a great Qing Dynasty, who dares to offend him Li Lianying.

Li Lianying, who had always been watching the words, saw that her face was pulled down and she didn't say anything, and her heart became happy, so Chen Moran didn't know that he had honored himself, and this time he even spit out all the bones and scum, thinking so in his heart, but he added oil and vinegar there.

"Lafayette, this person is like this, he had filial piety in the past, but he can't keep learning from that foreigner, this filial piety is not to mention, and he doesn't even have filial piety!"

Seeing that Lafayette's face became more and more ugly, Li Lianying's heart showed a sinister sneer, but her face was still that servile smile.

Liu Nengxian, who was standing with his head bowed, listened to what the chief manager was saying, and immediately reacted, it seems that the lame man really didn't give this Li Lianying silver! This is clearly trying to force the cripple to death!

"Cripple Chen! Don't blame me for not helping you, I have to keep my top first! ”

When he felt sorry for the lame man, Liu Nengxian didn't forget to excuse himself again in his heart, after all, this crime was not for Chief Manager Li, but his uncle had confessed.

"Young, then Chen Moran still has some filial piety, or he wouldn't donate silver to honor the Queen Mother, but now? Follow those foreigners to learn badly, and filial piety is weakened! Lafayette, when you read his filial piety, you rewarded him from the top of the three products, the yellow coat, now his filial piety is light, knocking down the filial piety of the courtier, that is also the blessing of the courtier! ”

was said by Li Lianying, the Empress Dowager Cixi's face changed, she really hated foreigners in her heart, but foreigners were powerful, and she couldn't afford to provoke them, those governors who followed the foreigners were disobedient, this small tonic of the three products, even learned to lose filial piety, and had to beat these courtiers well.

"Xiao Lizi, pass the decree, and the governor of Liangjiang will immediately arrest that Chen Moran into Beijing and hand it over to ......."

Liu Nengxian, who originally decided not to get involved in this matter, heard this will and quickly knelt down.

"Lafayette! I can't catch it! That...... That ......"

Liu Nengxian hurriedly searched for the reason in his heart, and when Li Lianying opened her mouth to say boldly, Liu Nengxian's words only made Li Lianying swallow the words raw.

(To be continued)