At the beginning of the twentieth century, the streets of Jinling Mansion were extremely lively, as for 36 years ago, after the Hunan army broke the city, "the battle of Jinling, millions of corpses, Qinhuai was red; The sound of crying shook the four fields. The influence has long been gone, benefiting the benefits of the Yangtze River, the convenience of trade, Jinling in the 27th year of Guangxu has long been restored to the brightly lit prosperity on the banks of the Qinhuai River.

Although this year was affected by the war in Beijing by the Eight-Nation Coalition Army in the north, under the protection of the governors of the southeastern provinces, the Mutual Protection of the Southeast Province for "refusing to carry out the decree on the declaration of war," they got rid of the expansion of the military strength of the foreign powers to the southeastern half of the country due to the Boxer Rebellion, and maintained peace in some areas.

The turmoil of the war in Jinling is still the Jinling where "pear blossoms are like snow grass and smoke, spring is on both sides of the Qinhuai River, a makeup building is covered by the water, and the pink shadows of every family shine on Chanjuan", the war in the north and the westward flight of the imperial court do not seem to have much impact on everything here.

Just after the end of the year, the flow of people on the streets on the 29th day of the lunar month was still bustling, and the well-dressed gentry and the northern refugees with vegetables on their faces rubbed shoulders on the streets of this thousand-year-old city.

Facing the Yuanmen of the Liangjiang Governor's Office on the wall, there are several green battalion soldiers with new-style foreign guns standing outside the two drum booths near the two blowing drum booths at both ends of the corridor outside the door.

Slightly different from previous years, or because of the "emperor driving in the west", the festive red lanterns were not hung outside the gate as in previous years. The Governor's Office Yamen is not too festive, but after some cleaning and decoration years ago, it also has a hint of New Year's flavor.

In the huge Liangjiang Governor's Office, the winding path leads to seclusion. Full of scenery, chic style, maybe just inadvertently stop, there is a long past, it through the corridor of the years, the wind and dust attack. cornices, promenades, bridges, flowing water...... For everything in the house, Liu Kunyi, who has served as the governor of Liangjiang twice, is enough, and as for the story and past of the Liangjiang Governor's Office, he is also tired of it.

The events of Gengzi Year are absurd, but the "Southeast Mutual Insurance" in the south is still a sober move. ”

As he spoke, Liu Nengxian, who was sitting in front of his uncle, raised his eyebrows slightly and glanced at his uncle when he spoke, realizing that he raised his eyebrows when he heard this, knowing that Chen Ranzhi's words must have heard his uncle's heart.

"Although I am young, I have lived in the ocean for a long time, and I am a little reasonable! Rare! Rare! ”

Liu Kun, who was originally sitting lazily on the chair, couldn't help but nod his head after hearing this.

Last year, he refused to carry out the "decree on declaring war" and engaged in a mutual guarantee in the southeast and carried out partial diplomacy with the consuls of various countries, committing this kind of offense and disorder, but it was "for the sake of the territory, not for the sake of outsiders." In private contact with the British, or if Lafayette was in touch, once it failed, he would eventually have to negotiate peace.

Although half of the Qing Dynasty was saved from the scourge of war, the gentry outside said to their faces, "My lord is wise!" He looked like a brother praising virtues, but behind his back, he said, "The governors of the southeast have no king and no father, refuse to obey the edict, and do not solve the king's worries, which is really rebellious!" Now, this descendant, who has been abroad for 23 years in a year, has been approved.

Hit Li Hongzhang sent out the copy "This chaotic life is also, Guangdong does not obey the edict." Nearly half of the local officials openly denounced the imperial decree as "false" and resolutely stated that they would not carry it out, uniting half of the southern country to resist the decree and protect themselves. even secretly agreed that if Yanjing was lost and the two palaces were unexpected, they would elect Li Hongzhang as president to support the crisis.

But Liu Kunyi, who has been influenced by traditional Confucian culture, can still be described as "angry" about this, outsiders call this move "wise", call this "wise", but still can't untie the knot in his heart, wisdom is the official language, wisdom is knowing the times, this is not the shame of scholars, but it is the word "sober" heard today, but it is the knot that has been untied.

Seeing his uncle's eyebrows and smile, Liu Nengxian, who rarely saw his uncle's happiness, hurriedly continued.

The man also said that since ancient times, the officialdom of the empire has never allowed to resist the decree, and the orders of the imperial court, no matter how ridiculous they are, must be completed to the letter. However, the southeast governors do not serve in disorder, and the fool can denounce the "governors for betraying the country", but everyone in the world knows that in the great disaster of the Gengzi year, it is the name of the southeast governors who have sacrificed themselves to ensure the stability of half of the ancient empire, and to maintain the vitality of the empire and the mountains. ”

"Oh!"

Liu Kun, who was extremely comfortable by this indirect sycophant, looked at his nephew.

"Nengxian, what you say is true!"

The uncle's sudden reprimand made Liu Nengxian, who had been sitting on the chair, quickly stand up and salute with both hands.

"Nengxian is telling the truth! Don't dare to lie to your uncle! Please also Uncle Mingjian! ”

Frowning and stroking his beard and thinking about drinking tea, Liu Kun looked up at his nephew who was standing there, and waved his right hand to signal him to sit down.

"He once made a statement and signed the outline, in addition to maneuvering around that frame, he could barely fight for some benefits!"

"Indeed!"

"Oh!"

Liu Kunyi picked up the teacup with his left hand, looking pensive.

"What do you think of this?"

"I don't see the teachings of the saints in my bones, but I have more benefits that only foreigners have."

Liu Nengxian replied truthfully, although he Chen Moran had a contrived demeanor and thoughtful manners in Sun Jingnan's study, but the foreign smell in his bones could not be hidden.

"The good fortune of foreigners!"

Hearing this, Liu Kun was stunned for a moment, and then smiled, he knew what this foreigner's strength meant, it was the strength of the ship's strong cannon.

"Do you think this man is of great use?"

Great use!

Uncle's words made Liu Nengxian's eyes widen suddenly, and he looked at his uncle almost incredibly, could it be that his uncle wanted to ......, think about it carefully, Liu Nengxian hesitated how to answer his uncle's words, so Chen Moran can be of great use?

"Uncle, whether it can be of great use, Nengxian still has no qualifications, but in Sun Nanping's study, he poured a word, Nengxian still dare not forget ......"

Thinking about it, Liu Nengxian said the paragraph that he had hidden before, which is also what Liu Nengxian appreciates the most.

"The younger generation's bones are not soft, I am afraid that if I become an official, I will be cut down one day! I asked, that is, the bones are hard, why are you afraid of being cut, he replied, his knees are hard, he can't bend, so he is broken, his neck is hard, but it is not as hard as a knife! This eight-and-a-half-pound head still wants to hold on to it! ”

Liu Kunyi, who was originally holding a teacup, listened to this sentence almost with a shocked face, and when he heard the last sentence, the surprise on his face narrowed, and he laughed loudly, and the teacup in his hand swayed because he was too excited.

"Good! Good! ”

Said hello twice, perhaps because of the excitement, Liu Kun's original miserable yellow face was much more ruddy. Xu hadn't heard the laughter of the adults in the study for a long time, and even the servants standing outside couldn't help but glance into the study at this time.

His face narrowed, his laughter stopped, and Liu Kunyi's voice changed.

"At this point, he wants to hold on to this eight-and-a-half-pound head, it's difficult!"

Liu Nengxian, who was startled by his uncle's words, got up from the chair and hurriedly saluted.

"Ahh Uncle! ……”

"How?"

The nephew's surprise made Liu Kun smile slightly.

"Nengxian, are you afraid that I really cut down that Chen Ranzhi?"

Seeing the smile on his uncle's face, he was originally a little worried that Liu Nengxian was relieved.

"Uncle, if you really want to cut him Chen Ranzhi, it will be in line with the law, his Chen Ran's words are full of disrespectful and disobedient words, and if you cut it, you will cut it!"

"Oh!"

Liu Kun replied lightly, knowing that his nephew was afraid that there would be something to talk about.

"However, although his words are disrespectful and his words are rebellious, with the amount of his uncle's tolerance, I think he will definitely not put that Chen lame man in his eyes!"

"If you put it on hold before the ......"

sighed in his heart Liu Kun looked at his nephew who was standing there, and he no longer mentioned the matter of cutting off his head, not to mention that he had no idea of cutting off people's heads.

"When he Chen Ranzhi said those words, those eight and a half pounds of head, if he wanted to carry it safely, he couldn't do it!"

As soon as he connected his uncle's words, Liu Nengxian vaguely guessed what his uncle meant.

"Uncle, do you want to allow him to be one of the ......?"

"If it was last year, when he Li Hefei was still in Shanghai, I would at least be able to protect him from the top of the third grade, and follow Li Hefei to Beijing as a council and attaché, maybe I can fight for the Qing Dynasty to get some back."

At this point, Liu Kun couldn't help but sigh again, crying out in pity.

"Uncle, that's ...... for you"

"Why don't you keep him on the top now?"

Looking at his nephew, who seemed to be confused, Liu Kun couldn't help but feel disappointed.

"As soon as the peace outline was signed, the lining and face of the Great Qing Kingdom had already been lost, even if it was to protect him with a three-grade top, what was the use, it was just to stain his reputation, his head was ......"

Picking up the teacup and pondering for a while, Liu Kunyi continued.

"Let him stand up to it for the time being! Enrich the people and strengthen the country, the people are rich and the country is strong, no industry can not enrich the people, no industry can not be strong! This Chen Ranzhi is a bit interesting! ”

Looking up at his nephew, who was already sitting in the chair.

"Nengxian, when the New Year is over, you can arrange to send someone from the house to Shanghai, send a copy of my name to Shanghai Dao, and inform him of Chen Ranzhi's name!" As soon as this peace agreement is signed, the Qing Kingdom needs such people to earn silver, and those individuals are really a little longer! It's time to bang it! ”

Looking at his uncle drinking tea in surprise, Liu Nengxian almost couldn't believe what he heard, his uncle rarely took care of a person by name like this, this Chen Ranzhi really didn't know what kind of incense he burned in his previous life.

"Also, don't make a noise about this matter, I'm going to see how big a wave this Chen Ranzhi can make when An Sheng holds his head!"