Ye Zhao didn't expect that after having a good conversation with Su Hongniang in the morning, he was summoned by the prince to Nuanfeng Pavilion when he returned home, but he had a letter, and Lord Xianfeng wanted to meet this disciple of the clan who was familiar with Western fiction and reality.

"Familiar with Western fiction and reality", since the prince indiscriminately helped his son blow the atmosphere in front of the emperor, he originally wanted to find an errand for his son as a minister, but he didn't want Emperor Xianfeng to take it seriously.

Prince Zheng was naturally worried that his son would show his cowardice in front of the emperor, so he gave a good order, and Fu Jin even grabbed Ye Zhao's hand and cried, for fear that his son would not respond well and violate the taboo of the heavenly family, and complained about the prince in front of Ye Zhao, isn't it good for his son to be a rich prince in peace? I want to go to that terrifying place to serve people.

Speaking of the prince later, he became angry, slapped the table and scolded "unreasonable" and walked away, Ye Zhao had to comfort his mother, and he knew what his mother was worried about, and said in his heart When will I take off this squishy hat.

……

Ye Zhao was rewarded with three products when he was an infant, and when he was sixteen years old, he was rewarded with a head product, but he rarely wore court clothes, and now he wears a python suit with five claws and nine pythons, hangs a court pearl, and wears a red tasseled official hat with ruby top beads.

In the south study of the Qianqing Palace with the prince, the horseshoe sleeves were kowtowed to Emperor Xianfeng to say goodbye, the sandalwood in the hall was bursting, the royal style, the corners of the eyes looked at it, and the room seemed to be filled with a golden halo.

"Show the prince." The clear voice gave the prince some face, after all, it was Daoguangye's life when he died. According to the rules, Ye Zhao can only kneel on the ground all the time to answer, which is not like the situation in film and television works when the emperor receives his courtiers.

But Ye Zhao still couldn't help but be curious, and secretly glanced out of the corner of his eye, but saw a thin young man sitting on the soft couch, who was handsome, but his face was pale and faintly speckled, which was left by smallpox when he was a teenager.

"I just met you a few days ago, and I said, why can't the children of my clan have a Zhou Peigong? Why can't you ride and shoot literature? ”

Prince Zheng's face turned red and white, and it was not easy to intervene.

Ye Zhao had no choice but to kowtow: "The slave should die, the slave is not angry!" If you have the grace of God, you deserve death! I smiled bitterly in my heart, this dismount is inevitable.

Xianfeng's tone softened: "Look at your excerpts, there are a few words that are also in line with my heart, I am in the Heavenly Empire, I will not be afraid of a few barbarians who don't know the number of etiquette, this barbarian and the barbarian, are still fighting?" ”

Ye Zhao kowtowed again and said: "Back to the master, the slave's teacher has lived on Hong Kong Island for a few years, but he knows what is going on over there......" Ye Zhao carefully described the current situation in Britain, France, the United States, Russia and other countries, of course, the political system, the industrial and commercial system, the spider web-like railway that developed vigorously, and the telegraph that began to be erected across the ocean, etc., etc., etc., that is not to mention, even the sharp firearms of the giant gunships and ships that have been seen by the Chinese people, Ye Zhao only said a few words.

At this time, even if you talk about buying firearms, it seems out of place. Starting from the main suppression of Emperor Xianfeng, a cadre of princes and ministers were extremely tough on Western countries, not to mention that they had lost the war ten years ago. Learning Barbarians? I'm afraid that if I say it, I will be sprayed to death by saliva stars.

Despite this, these words were also said for more than half an hour, during which Xianfeng interjected and asked a few words, although some of the questions were ridiculous, Ye Zhao still answered according to his wishes, and it was only after hearing that Xianfeng nodded again and again.

"I can't think of it, I can't think of it, it turns out that the barbarians are also very chaotic there, why didn't they understand what people say and I listen to before." Xianfeng spoke, and lifted the lid of the tea.

Ye Zhao hurriedly said: "The emperor is lenient and loves the people, and it is a matter of time before the barbarians from all directions surrender. "When it's time to talk about meat, just pour the soup, the more meaty the better.

Xianfeng took a sip of tea lightly, and said slowly: "You are also not a small boss, you can't always hang around at home, let's talk about it, which yamen do you want to go to on an errand?" ”

Ye Zhao was busy kowtowing again, looking grateful: "Thank you for the master's grace, the slave is all according to the master's orders, if you say that the ambition of the slave is naturally to go to the battlefield to kill the long hair and protect the master's eternal country." "If Ye Zhao said in his heart, he hoped that the ban in the Northeast would be lifted, and he would go to the Northeast to train and compete with Lao Maozi. But once there is no foundation, what can you do now, even if you go? Can you stop Lao Maozi from going east with a lot of blood? Second, when the emperor asks you, you can't reveal your thoughts.

Xianfeng didn't expect Ye Zhao to say this, he was stunned, and sighed softly, "It's hard for you, I know the general situation at a young age, I have always been looking forward to a Manchurian disciple to say it, but I don't want to be said by you, we are full of people, and we can't always rely on outsiders." ”

Ye Zhao fell to the ground and quietly listened to Xianfeng's emotion. Later, the rise of Zeng Guofan, Li Hongzhang and other important Han ministers was really because there was no one to use the Manchurian nobles, and the Eight Banners were even more exposed in the contest with the Taiping army, and they had become corrupt to the point of vulnerability. Since the entry of the Qing Dynasty, in fact, the Manchurian clan has always been the real master of ruling this land, and no matter how big the Han officials are, in the eyes of the clan nobles, they are just lackeys.

"Since you are well versed in foreign affairs, you can't be wasted, so let's go to Shanghai and send an edict to all parties to handle the tariff matter."

Xianfeng said that the wind was light, but Ye Zhao was almost choked to death in one breath, and he was not afraid of the wind flashing his tongue? What the? Message to the barbarians? Handle the tariff business? Is there any of these barbarians who takes our parables seriously?

Ye Zhao understands the meaning of Xianfeng, the knife will make trouble, just conquered the county seat of Shanghai, Wu Jianzhang, the superintendent of the Jiang Customs, fled into the concession to set up a temporary customs, but the merchants of various countries are not birds, the temporary customs is useless, and the Shanghai tariff revenue is the main source of military salaries for the Jiangnan battalion, so it is no wonder that Emperor Xianfeng is in a hurry.

Ye Zhao actually wanted to go to Shanghai to have a look and contact with all kinds of "barbarians", after all, the current West is in the embryonic stage of modern civilization, and it is also closer to the world of his previous life, so he may have more common words with these barbarians.

But Ye Zhao didn't want to go to Shanghai in the name of this Laoshizi minister, there was a Qing generation, this minister was the most difficult to do, big rewards and punishments, such as Li Hongzhang monk Greenqin and others have been punished many times as a minister of the Qincha.

But no matter how unwilling he was, Ye Zhao could only kowtow with a grateful face: "The emperor's cultivation is the lifelong luck of the slave, and the slave will definitely live up to the high expectations of the master and do the errand beautifully." ”

Xianfeng nodded slightly: "When you go out this time, don't waste your hard work." ”

……

On the way back, because of the strict reliance, there was a horse incense burner in front to open the road, and there were several cavalry soldiers Goshha around, and the prince and Ye Zhao each sat on a sedan chair, which was inconvenient to narrate.

But after entering the East Asmen of the palace, the prince got off the sedan chair, beckoned Ye Zhao to come over, and asked in a low voice: "This trip is not easy to do, right?" ”

Ye Zhao didn't want him to worry, and said with a smile: "It's man-made, who is right." ”

The prince squeezed his shoulder hard, and seemed relieved.

Not long after, the inner court issued a decree, and the first class Fengguo general Aixin Jueluo Jingxiang was appointed as the minister of affairs of Susong Taicang Province Jianghai Beiguan to go to Shanghai to negotiate with Yangyi.

And as soon as the seal arrived, Ye Zhao was about to leave immediately.